Bellatrix Utra Levator
by Kaishae
Summary: Kaishae was a hunter. She never planned on being anything else. That was, until she took a job for the Grand Army of the Republic, and was thrown into a world of war, friendship, love and sacrifice. Will she stay the hunter she's been all her life or will she become a warrior? Captain Rex x OFC
1. Chapter 1

"Kai, go down to the market and get some cane syrup, and the rest of the list, will you? I'll be at work a little longer tomorrow, and I don't want to have to shop before I come home." Runa called to her 10 year old daughter, who was currently at the sink, washing her hands after peeling the fern potatoes for tonights meal. Except she had gotten distracted and was letting the water run over her hands as she watched it, most likely thinking about the bike she had been fixing all afternoon, going over the problems and various ways to fix it. That girl of hers had a busy mind.

Her daughters head snapped up, her blue eyes sparkling with excitement. Her mother wanted her to get cane syrup? They only used that for special occasions, for sweets. Sure, her birthday was tomorrow, but the price of syrup was always so expensive…and..they hadn't even turned in their first harvest yet.

Her parents had always taught her to spend her credits wisely, only spending what she had, and encouraged her to wait until she had the full amount of credits to buy something.

"What is it? I can hear your thoughts all the way over here, honey." Runa teased as she walked over, handing Kai the towel to dry her hands, and she accepted it with a thank you.

She sat on a stool, so that she was eye level with her daughter, and could see the wheels turning in her head.

"But the syrup is so expensive..and I know we haven't brought in the harvest yet. And it's smaller this year, than it was last. We'll have enough, but not enough to buy anything extra." Kai started to explain, and swallowed when she saw her mothers face grow emotional. She hadn't meant to make her upset, and she thought of how to fix it.

"I am ok if I don't have any sweets for my birthday, mama. I know we need the money to pay the rent and fix our speeder. I can wait until next year. I promise."

Runa leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Oh Kaishae…" she whispered as she stroked her cheek lovingly. "Im asking you to get the syrup because we _can _afford it. I've been saving." She winked at her daughter, and saw those blue eyes light up, out of hesitation and into excitement.

"Mama..you shouldn't have.." She protested and Runa covered her daughters mouth with her fingers.

"I do believe you are the only child who complains about having something sweet for her birthday." Kai laughed behind her fingers, trying to free her face, with no avail. Her mother was stronger than her small frame made her look.

"I love you my child. It was a sacrifice I'd make a thousand times over. I do it because I love you." She leveled her gaze at the child in front of her, and Kai stopped struggling and looked at her, her blue eyes now serious. "You are my world, Kaishae. Do you understand?"

Kai stared back at her mother, dark haired with green eyes, and nodded. Runa smiled, then suddenly her face morphed as she felt something wet on her palm.

"Kai, no! Quit doing that!" She called out and went to grab onto her daughter, but she missed her, and Kai ran out the door, laughing loudly at the game she and her mother played. She heard her mother call out to be careful, so she raised a hand to show she had heard, and raced to the speeder, turning it on in record time, and she took off toward the market.

Tomorrow was going to be the best day she would ever remember.

—

Kai heaved breaths in and out, enjoying the burn as she hopped back on the speeder. She was getting faster and stronger every day, and she knew it wasn't going to be long before she would be able to make this run in record time.

She turned so she faced the back of the vehicle, and fastened the two cloth bags into the back compartment and and snapped the lid shut. She turned back, and powered on the engine and took off towards the house, watching the lush country side whip by.

There were a lot of times she felt confined in her life, and because of these feelings she was fairly certain she was more cynical than an a girl her age should be. She knew some of her friend's parents got along, and others that didn't. So she knew her situation wasn't unique, but she just wished she could have what she wanted, what she saw in her head.

The times her father was gone were good times for her and her mother, and she knew that wasn't right. It wasn't supposed to be like that.

Her father had lost his job at the local med-center, and after he had become so angry and bitter, going to the different cantinas offered in their small town to try and drink away his problems. He blamed everyone but himself for the loss of employment, seeming to forget that he was the one that had a problem with those he worked with, and that he was the one that came into work late. No matter who tried to talk to him about it, they were unable to convince him otherwise. Her mother in particular was to blame in his eyes, and that caused a large amount of fights in their small home.

So when he was home, the house felt stifled and tense. Only when he was gone, could she and her mother laugh and joke like they used to.

She took a deep breath, and pushed the thoughts away. She let the wind caress her face, enjoying her small window of freedom. She passed brightly illuminated plants, enjoying the beauty of her home world, proud to be from such a productive planet. She was looking forward to settling down tonight and maybe watching a holovid together.

She pulled up to the front of the house, and she felt like her stomach dropped to her feet, the engine idling.

"No.." She whispered. He wasn't supposed to be home yet. He was still supposed to be away selling the latest harvest of their sufar greens, and Nysillin plants, the sources of income for their small family. They had managed to convince him that he could fetch the best prices with the market owners, with him being well known. That was the only reason he would ever leave.

But when he was home, he usually stayed in modified shed at the back of the house, shutting himself away from her and her mother. She took a deep breath and shut off the speeder, and made sure it was covered. She grabbed the bags out of the back compartment, and walked up the door, and put an ear to it, listening carefully. She didn't hear any conversation so she walked in the house, and started to put the food in the conservator.

"Shae, there you are!" She heard her father, Harand, call out to her and she took a deep breath before she turned around with a smile. She wondered if there would ever be a day that it didn't feel forced. "Did you get everything for your birthday tomorrow?"

She nodded, stuffing down the sad feelings she felt around him and nodded. She could smell the alcohol on his breath. "I did. I also got some of those fruits you like." She looked to her left, and felt her dad give her a hug. He was always kind to her, no matter what. Even after a fight with her mom, he'd be all smiles with her and she hated it.

"Thank you." He said, and walked over to the bowl, pulling out a ripe fruit, and taking a bite.

She heard Runa walk into the room, holding her tablet, most likely finishing up things for work. Kai she turned back to the sink, grabbing the fruits she had brought and started washing them.

"You're home early." Her mother said, her voice even, but her gaze fixed on the task in front of her.

"I thought that would be a good thing." Harand responded to his wife, his eyes sharp and defensive. "I wanted to be here for Shae's birthday. I didn't know you'd have a problem with that."

Kai's eyes burned as she focused on getting a particular dirty spot clean on the melon, wishing that she was anywhere but where she was at that moment. She didn't want there to be a fight again tonight.

"Thank you, dad." She said quietly, trying to smooth everything over, taking a towel and drying the melon, and walked it over to a small table they had set up in the corner.

"And you are allowed to. I never said I had a problem with it.." Runa answered with a tight voice. Harand was quiet for a moment, and Shae took that opportunity to breathe, hoping the he would just let that conversation die. It was simply a hope however, because she knew he wouldn't let it go. He never did.

"And you never do have a problem do you? You're always the calm and collected one, the one with out the problem. Runa, the perfect wife and mother." He mocked her, his voice cutting deep. Kai wiped the tears off of her face, as she edged towards her room. She walked around the corner and sunk to the floor, her chest aching as she hugged her knees to her chest.

"You need to stop Harand. You're drunk, and I won't have that in my house." Runa said, her voice shaking but Kai knew her posture was firm.

"Oh, _your _house. Hear that Shae?" He called out, not seeing her daughter, but knowing her well enough that he knew she could hear. "This isn't even my house. A stranger on my own property."

"You were the one that chose to move out and modify the shed. I didn't choose that for you. I didn't choose any of this for you, Harand. So don't you blame me. Not for any of this. _You_ chose. Not me." Runa stepped closer to him, her green eyes spitting fire.

"Yeah, it never is your fault is it." He snorted and walked to the door. "You know what? I'm done with constantly being put down, and ridiculed. A person can only take so much. I'm leaving, Runa." He said, and she heard her mothers feet move quickly, probably stepping back. Kai stood up from where she was, and peeked around the corner, blinking away the tears. Her mother _had _moved away, staring at him.

"Leaving?" Runa asked, her voice sharp enough to cut the air and Harand met her eyes with a self satisfied smirk. "Leaving to where?"

"I found a crew that will take me in, and give me a ride to the inner ring. We have to make some stops to nearby systems, but they'll take me to where I want. It's time I found someone who really appreciated my presence, not to mention my work."

Kai wanted to cry until there were no tears left, but she held it in. She couldn't cry, not right now.

It had been so good before. They seemed like a good, sturdy family. They had their troubles, but they worked, and sacrificed, and laughter. Why was he leaving. He couldn't.

"But you can't leave." Kai said quietly stepping away from the corner, and her father looked at her for a moment, and then he narrowed his eyes.

"Oh, honey. I wish I had a choice. But it's clear your mother doesn't want me here. I have no choice here." He smiled at her, walking over and giving her a hug. Her arms stayed stiff against her side, her skin crawling, and she wanted him to get away from her.

What she didn't see was the triumphant look in her fathers eyes and the broken one in her mother's.

He walked out, letting the door hiss closed behind him. Her mother sat down at the table, and laid her head down in defeat, and dragged in a long,deep breath.

No matter what happened after that, Kai knew that her life was never going to be normal again.

—

(2 months later)

They never heard from him again. Kai knew she shouldn't have been surprised.

They saw on the holonet almost every night, that the rate of pirate attacks in the next two systems were increasing, giving local militia far more trouble than before. In the last month, the fighting between rival gangs had now traveled to Felucia, so they made sure to lock their doors and windows at night and her mother had told her to never answer the door if she was home alone.

So, with all the fighting, they had no way of knowing whether Harand was dead or alive, whether he had made it to the inner ring in time or not.

And they tried not to care. Of course, that was near impossible, but all they did was try to take it day to day. That was all they could do.

Kai finished up with her speeder, finally finished with the repairs that had taken her all week, and walked inside, stopping for a moment on the threshold to admire the stars in the sky. That was one of the nice things about having to do more of the farming. She got to stay out under the stars.

And the pirates had ruined that, she thought with irritation. Night time was one of her favorites, solely for that reason. The sky came alive at night.

A growl of her stomach encouraged her to step inside, and she washed the grease off her hands in the sink. She looked over at the chrono, and jerked with surprise.

It was almost 9 and her mother wasn't home yet. Maybe work had gone over, and the boss had asked her to do some extra work. That had happened before, especially lately. And the market was almost 10 miles away. It always took time to get home, especially at night, when you had to go slower.

Her gaze flickered towards the blaster by the sink, and made sure the safety was on, before moving it closer to her. Just to be safe.

She might as well lay some food out on the counter for when her mother got home. She was never later than 10, and there were things that wouldn't spoil being out that long. She walked to the cabinet and got out some meat and bread, and sliced up a plate's worth, putting a glass of water next to it.

With that done, she wandered to her room and laid on her bed, picking up her tablet. Maybe just one holovid episode before bed.

An hour later, she was asleep.

—

Sunlight filtered through the tiny spaces in the shutters, and hit Kai in the eyes, waking her upl and she blinked long and slow, as she got bearing of her surroundings.

She slowly slid her way out of her bed, and walked over to the refresher. She walked in, used the restroom, then went to the sink, washing her hands. She splashed water on her face, rubbing her eyes, feeling the cold water wake her up.

She dried off her face, and ran a brush through her hair, gathering it into a ponytail. She wandered out into the hall, her door opening and closing with a hiss.

She walked to her mom's room, ready to go wake her up, or maybe just lay there and talk with her, but the hair stood up on her arms when she saw her mom's bed.

She always made it in the morning, and she constantly got after Kai to do the same.

But yesterday, Kai had ran into the room, and jumped on the bed, leaving a messy indent right int he middle of the bed.

It was still there.

She backed up and ran into the kitchen, and her eyes flew to the counter.

The plate of food still laid there, the cheese soft and limp. The water lay untouched as well.

"Mom?" Kai called out, her voice sounding terribly small, even in this small house.

"Mom? Where are you?"

No answer.

"Mom!" She called out again, trying to quell the panic in her chest. Maybe she had stayed in town for the night, with one of her friends. But why hadn't she sent a message? Kai had been sure to keep the comm close to her, for that exact reason. Nothing had come in.

She had to get to the market. Something must have happened. It wasn't like her mom to forget. She ran to her room and hurriedly changed into some clothes, and grabbed her jacket, and on a whim her backpack from the floor.

Just as she ran into the kitchen and was grabbing some breakfast from the fruit bowl, she heard the sound of multiple speeders approaching. They were coming from the left side. The parking space for their speeder lay on the right.

She grabbed the blaster from the windowsill, and turned off the safety, as she walked to the window.

She stopped, and peeked through the slats, and gasped, covering her mouth, hoping irrationally that they hadn't heard.

Pirates.A whole group of them, mismatched, and very frightening. They were here. At her house. And she was alone.

She fell back against the couch, and forced her legs to turn and run in the direction of the door.

Throwing it open, not thinking about the noise it would make, she ran out into the yard, and hopped on her speeder, turning it on quickly, watching it fully power on.

A man stepped around the corner just as she grabbed the throttle and he raised his blaster.

She panicked and threw the speeder into full speed, and the man barely had time to jump away, before she flew by. Blaster shots echoed behind her and she felt one graze her arm, causing an intense pain to bloom in her arm.

But she kept going, not letting up on the throttle, narrowly missing some of the rocks that littered the trail, until she caught a glimpse of the tall buildings that made up the market.

But there was smoke rising from more places than one, including in the direction of where her mom worked.

She swallowed, her throat dry, as she parked the speeder behind a building. She had to go find her.

She ducked around the corner and ran down the long alley way, diving behind some crates as she heard voices approach. They came into view, 2 men and a woman, all carrying heavy guns.

"That store was easier to clear than I thought, for being so big. Wonder why they didn't guard it better. Some of those goods are going to fetch us a handsome price. We'll have to come back again soon." The man in the front exclaimed to his companions.

They laughed and agreed, hefting their weapons, as they continued walking, their footsteps slowly fading as they slipped out of view.

—

The store.

That's where her mom worked. Every day for the last 12 years.

Kai threw caution to the wind, and stood up. She took one deep breath, and sprinted out of the alley, taking turns around overturned containers, and vaulting over tables. All those times racing through the market, dodging speeders, animals and people was finally paying off.

She got to the store, and skidded to a stop. Police droids and local authorities lay on the ground, unmoving, their weapons knocked out of their hands. Of course they had taken out the local protection first.

Hot tears sprung into her eyes, and slipped down her cheeks. They had killed _everyone._

As far as she could see, no one who had been in the market that morning moved. She recognized her mother's coworkers, owners of neighboring shops. There was Jaqs who could handle any household droid issue, his fingers still wrapped around his blaster, and Bayla the specialty baker.

She stood there in shock, not seeing another group of pirates walk up, and didn't turn to look at them until someone called out to her, one, twice.

"You! Little girl!" A man came up to her and shook her shoulders, and in a panic, reflexively threw her fists up and hit the man square in the jaw.

He stumbled back with a grunt, and the pirates behind him burst into laughter, slapping each other's shoulders and wiping tears from eyes.

"She got you good, Mar!" His friend came up, and was shoved out of the way, as Mar stalked over to her, and grabbed her by her hair, gripping it painfully

"You don't go around hitting me, and expect to get away with it, girl. How about I break a couple bones to teach you a lesson?" He snarled, his eyes flashing with anger, and Kai cowered from his gaze, and his raised first, not able to close her eyes as he stared her down.

"Mar, mar. That's enough. Let the girl go." Their captain commanded, and he scoffed, and shoved her down to the ground. The dirt puffed as she landed, her face in the dirt, and Kai glared up at the both of them as the captain walked over, after few moments to collect herself.

"What do we do with her, boss?" One of the girls asked, staring at the captain with an excited look in her eyes. "We could use another crew member."

The captain walked over, her long grey coat clean and pristine despite the firefight that had obviously taken place. She crouched, her brown eyes taking in the small frame in front of her.

"You have spirit, little one." She reached out, probably to soothe her and Kai slapped her hand away, glaring hatred at her front where she sat.

"You killed all of them…." She accused the woman in front of them, and the captain took a deep breath, her brown eyes glittering warning.

"Your people were well armed, and gave a good fight. Better than I have seen in a long time. But I couldn't have my crew harmed." She shifted her weight, still watching Kai. "I had to protect my people. Surely you can understand that?"

Kai scrambled up and clenched her fists. "What about _my_ people? Bayla had a family…You probably killed them..You killed everyone in the market, didn't you?"

The captain sighed again. "The house down at the end of the street, the one she ran towards? They were _strong_, and fought well. She taught her children well, it seems."

Kai stepped closer, her voice shaking. "Didn't you?" She repeated, her voice breaking on the last syllable.

She was greeted with a simple nod and those brown eyes glinted in the sunlight again. "I did, yes."

Kai wiped the tears away with the back of her hand, the dirt smearing on her face from when she had fallen. "There was..a woman. Brown hair, green eyes. She was wearing a brown shirt with laces on the front." She didn't dare breathe, and her pulse hammered in her head. Not her mother too.

"Please say you didn't kill her too." Kai whispered, as she stared at the woman's boots. "Please."

The captain turned and started to walk to the ship, but stopped, looking over her shoulder. "She fought well, young one. She was a fine warrior. Take comfort in that."

She then turned and instructed the crew member she passed. "Cuff and hood her. We are going to Jabba's immediately."

Kai felt all the air rush into her lungs with a searing breathe, and she screamed out in anguish, fighting against the two men that picked her up, her feet swinging frantically in the air. Her wrists were brought behind her and cuffed, and a bag was shoved over her head.

She didn't stop screaming until a needle was jabbed into her neck, and then the world faded into black.

—


	2. Chapter 2

Music greeted Kai's ears as she finally came to, and she cracked her eyes open. They felt heavy and dry, thanks to whatever they had given her. She groaned, stretching as best as she could with the handcuffs behind her back. She shifted her wrists slightly and felt them sting as the metal rubbed harshly against them.

When she was fully conscious, she realized she was propped up against a wall.

"She's awake, boss." The man next to her called out, as he tossed back another drink. He set the glass down, wiping his mouth and smirked at her from his seat. In return she gave him her best glare, but all it did was make him laugh, which led into a grating cough.

The captain walked up to her, her coat making that familiar, horrible soun and crouched down next to her. One look was all she gave, to make sure Kai was fully conscious, then grabbed her by the arm, hauling her up.

Kai worked to fight her, planting her heels on the floor, and jerked away as hard as she could.

"Let _go _of me!" She protested and without warning, sunk her teeth into the woman's hand as hard as she could until she tasted blood.

To the woman's credit, she didn't more of a sound than a small grunt, but as soon as Kai let go, a slap sent her head reeling and lights flashed in her eyes.

"That is enough, child." She whispered as a threat, and walked to the middle of the floor. She looked up, a large smile overtaking her face, and she gestured to all the people watching, ignoring the blood dripping down her hand.

"Hello everyone! I have a wonderful opportunity for you all. We just came from a lovely village on Felucia, a group of fighters and warriors. Good, strong people."  
"That you killed!" Kai snapped, as she was turned in a circle. Laughter pealed through the room, and the captain raised one hand in agreement.

"As you can see, she has spirit. She survived a raid from my crew and stood up to me and my men. She's a good buy, I assure you. She's young and very healthy. Her mother must have taken good care of her."

"Shut _up_!" Kai yelled, and turned in the captains grip and slammed a fist into the woman's stomach. Sharp lines of pain raced up her hand into her arm, and made her gasp.

The captain grunted, and slapped her again, twice, one after another, so that she couldn't differentiate between them. The crowd roared with laughter again, and the captain laughed as well, though it sounded forced.

As soon as the laughter died down to a tolerable level, a voice called out.

"Didn't know you'd sunk to selling children, Viya." A dark haired man called out, and Viya shrugged and smiled.

"She would have had a place on my crew, but she's proving to be far more difficult than I'd intended, and care to deal with it. I'm doing us all a favor by getting rid of her, to someone that can actually use her."

The man responded but Kai didn't catch it as she looked around her, trying to clear the ringing from her head. She swallowed, her throat aching with how dry it was. Looking behind her she saw the palace's owner, of whom she had only heard stories of.

Jabba sat on his throne, as disgusting as she'd heard. His eyes watched her with what she would place as disinterest, and nothing more. He continued to smoke from the small device next to him, and blew the smoke towards the ceiling.

She could see some Trandoshans in the corner, but they seemed more interested in their conversation than in her.

A pair of golden eyes caught her attention though, and she stared at them with no small amounts of fear, working to fight back the tears.

They belonged to a older man, with dark red skin, his head covered by a dark brown scarf. Kai had read books on many of the galaxy's species and she had to guess that he was a Zeltron, a race known for its beautiful women and extravagant parties. But this man didn't seem to match the description of his people. He wore a matching brown coat, that did little to conceal the gun at his waist, and he carried an overall air of laid back danger.

His face looked worn, probably due to the life he lived, and the harsh environments he chose to live in. Wrinkles lined around his eyes, making him look tired, but that didn't make him look any less a fighter.

He stood up, his sturdy frame moving people aside as he approached the ring, his gun holster and knives shifting with his firm gate.

The chatter ceasing slightly and as he walked over to Viya, his eyes narrowed as he looked at Kai.

Kai was frightened by the man, and swallowed nervously, her throat seeming to catch. What did he want with her? His gaze remained firm and he tilted his head to the side ever so slightly.

"How old are you, child?" He asked quietly, his voice low and rough.

Kai simply stared back at him, her chest starting to ache, her palms sweating. His eyes didn't change, but he seemed like he was ready to simply sit there and wait until she answered him.

Viya shook her by the arm, gripping it so tightly that it started to ache, and hissed in her ear, "Answer him."

Kai looked at the ground, blinking tears out of her eyes and felt her palms begin to sweat. "I'm 11." She said quietly, and she didn't see man's eyes flickered slightly in surprise.

"You look a bit young to be 11." He replied, and she quickly looked up at him, attempting to shove down her nervousness but was met with a small smile in his eyes.

Her head spun with confusion. Why would this man smile at her, if he didn't even know her? Who was he, and was he truly trying to be nice, or did he have some sort of agenda? Well, she had to show him that she wasn't easy bait, that she was strong.

"It's my birthday today." She ground out, a tear slipping down her face, and she fought against Viya's grip to wipe it away. A few saw her tears, and laughed but she ignored them. She focused her gaze on the man in front of her, determined to not break under the weight of her fear.

"How much do you want for her?" The man asked, and Viya stepped closer, muttering a price to him with a small smile.

After a few minutes of fierce back and forth debate, a shake of the man's head, and a small, but clearly triumphant smile on Viya's face, the man tossed the requisite amount credits in her hand.

"You rob me, Ozan." Viya joked as the credits landed in her hand with a small clink.

"Consider it my gift to you, to relieve you of your burden." He replied quietly, walking over, grabbed Kai's cuffs firmly but gently.

He started walking away without any other conversation. He didn't seem like a man that talked much, Kai thought as she was walked outside. The nervous feeling in her stomach was building up again, and she took a deep breath, trying to be brave.

His large steps kicked up dust as they walked outside, making for a small alleyway to their left.

She followed him without speaking as he walked up to a booth at the very end of the market that came into view. She didn't see what he bought or the credits that left his hand, but they walked away soon after, and he carried a small bundle under his arm.

His strides made her run to keep up, but as they neared a landing platform by the building she had entered, her eyes immediately went to the ship in front of them, the ship that Ozan was controlling to lower the cargo bay ramp.

Despite herself, her situation, and her nervousness, she felt a small spark of excitement. This was no speeder, this was something much better. This was a Class 720 Freighter, from Ghtroc Industries, a well known manufacturer in the Outer Rim. She had never seen one in real life before, but she had seen pictures as she and her dad had discussed different weapons systems and shield placements.  
The memory of her father made her eyes sting again, and she blinked them back as the ramp settled against the ground.

She busied herself for a small moment and admired the cleanliness of the ships shell. No scoring on the wings or back, and it seemed relatively free of sand. This man took care of his ship, that much was clear.

Ozan placed a hand on her shoulder, and steered her up the ramp, and she dug in her feet, which caused her to slide up a few inches before stopping. He paused for a moment, and sighed slightly, before picking her up around the waist, and continued walking.

Kai began to kick frantically and flail her fists around, occasionally catching the man in his side, but he didn't respond, merely pressing the button in the cargo hold to close the door. And as the door closed Kai saw that her struggling hadn't turned a single eye.

Ozan called out once the door was closed, his voice filling the bay.

"A6, let's get out of here. Program the coordinates." Kai heard some high pitches whistles and beeps respond, as the droid complained of the long wait, and she felt the ship lift off. She grabbed onto the side of the wall, willing her muscles not to shake, but failing miserably.

_What is happening_, she asked herself as she felt her head spin and her chest tighten. Her mother was dead, and she had gone from a ring to be sold in, to this man's ship in less than 48 hours. Her head was beginning to hurt and she felt like she was going to throw up.

She sunk to her knees, tear starting to well in her eyes and slip down her cheeks. She could hear Ozan walking around the bay, and giving some final instructions to what she concluded was the droid up in the pilot's seat. In the back of her mind she was grateful that her father had taught her how to understand astromech droids.

She barely felt the ship seem to slow and pull, then release, remotely aware that they had most likely engaged the hyperdrive.

She had been wanting to see that her whole life. Her father had told her all about it, before he lost his job, promising one day, that he would take her on a trade trip, so she could see more of the universe. And this was how that wish of hers chose to be fulfilled. She swallowed the bile in her throat, and wiped the tears with her hand.

Her head fell onto her knees, and she tucked them close to her face, trying to close herself off from the world around her.

She heard a deep, male sigh and knew he had come back, but she wanted him to leave her alone. She wanted the entire galaxy to leave her alone.

Through her knees, she saw him kneel down on one knee and he put a hand on her shoulder, very gently, like he was trying not to scare her. She felt anger bloom in her chest, and fill her entire body. How dare he be kind.

She threw her fists out in retaliation, and caught him in the jaw, and she pushed with her legs until she was up against the wall. He caught her hands when they came close again, and held them in a gentle, yet solid grip, as he looked her in the eyes.

"Stop fighting, and look at me." He instructed her and she shook her head, continuing to shake, her breaths shorter and shorter. She felt like she was about to pass out, each breath forcing its way in.

"Let me go!" She snapped, and fought against him and he simply held onto her hands, waiting for her to tire. When she realized her fighting was getting her nowhere, she stopped, her arms burning and her small frame heaving as she took shallow, shaking breaths.

"I am not your enemy, little one. Please, trust me." He spoke quietly, and sat down on the floor across from her, his legs crossed. She took notice that he still held her hands. She relaxed her arms and hands in his grasp, and he gave her a long look before taking his own hands away.

He tilted his head to look at her, his amber colored eyes watching her closely. He reached up and unwound the scarf from his head, revealing dark blue hair, his temples dusted with gray. He folded the scarf and tossed it on top of a nearby crate.

He tilted his head towards the pilot door, his eyes squinted. "Are we still on course A6?" he called out, and a series of answering whistles came as an affirmative response.

"What do you want from me?" Kai asked, her voice quiet as she tried to get closer to the wall. He leaned up against a crate and looked over at her, stretching his legs out as he took a moment to answer.

"If I'm being completely honest, child, two things." He spoke slowly, trying not to spook her any more than she already was. He wasn't very good with children, no matter what Hirani had thought when they had first married. He glanced down at his ring, and rubbed it affectionately, for just for a moment before looking back up.

He watched the girl in front of him wipe her face, smearing a little more of the dirt, and she leveled her blue eyes to look at him. She may do well with him, because underneath the fear, he could see a small spark of fire. She was strong, even if she didn't feel she was right now.

"What?" She asked, as she lifted her chin to look him in the face.

He held up a finger and as he talked, he lifted another.

"First. You are small and will be for another year most likely. There are often times in my job where I need someone who can get into small spaces. That is where you come in." He saw her head lift up, in hesitant curiosity more than fear this time, and he figured that was as good as anything. "Second. I wasn't going to leave you there all by yourself. I went in there to buy some new parts for my ship. Didn't expect them to be selling a child. You are going to learn to defend yourself so you won't end up in that situation again. Not if I can help it."

"And what makes you think I want to?" She asked, with a challenge in her voice and he chuckled at her words. She _was _stubborn. That was good.

His eyes leveled in her direction and he raised an eyebrow. "You don't want to defend yourself, child?" He asked, and she scowled, her cheeks turning pink. She had spoken too brashly and she stuffed down her embarrassment.  
"Kai." She whispered, and he tilted his head, and narrowed his eyes at her.

She took a small breath, then lifted her head and looked him square in the eye.  
"My name's Kai. Not child." She muttered, and averted her eyes. She missed seeing his lips turn up in amusement, as she shifted uncomfortably.

"Why did you buy me so fast? I would have been fine." She crossed her arms and stared at the man who sat across from her and his lips pulled down in a frown.

"Trust me. I saved your life. You don't know what those kind of people are like, how they live." He warned and sat up, pulling his jacket off, and threw it on top of the crate that had his scarf on it.

"And you just want me to steal for you., so I'd say that's not much of an improvement." She shot back and moving faster than she could track, he grabbed her by the arm and dragged her up onto her feet as he stood. He stared down at her, his golden eyes seeming to glow with anger.

"It doesn't matter if I had you steal for me or not, Kai." He ground out, his voice hard. "Those people that wanted to buy you, the ones that were already counting out credits, would have subjected you to a life that no person should ever have to live. I was not going to leave a child with them." He took a deep breath, and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, Kai was staring at him, her eyes wide, but there wasn't a hint of tears this time. Good.

"You're not the only one to lose someone to pirates, little one." He said gruffly and her eyes widened as she understood his meaning. He had lost someone close to him, a wife or child perhaps. There was no mistaking the pain in his eyes, because Kai knew that pain.

He let go of her arm and leaned down to the floor and picked up the bundle. He placed it in her arms and motioned to the ladder. "Follow me." He instructed and started to climb. He waited until he heard the sound of smaller feet ascending the ladder, and he nodded to himself as he neared the top. He got up on his feet and waited as Kai's head appeared at the landing.  
A6 rolled down the hallway and gave a curious beep as he came to a stop.

Kai got to her feet and her gaze immediately went to the droid, and her mouth opened in the closest thing to a smile he'd seen.

"Hi." She waved slightly and he saw A6 look her over before extending one of his tool arms and wave back in the same motion.

"This is A6, my droid, and the copilot of this ship. Don't try to tell him what to do. He doesn't like it." He seemed to chuckle to himself, then turned to the red painted droid. "A6, this is Kai. She'll be staying with us for a while."

Ozan stifled a yawn and looked down at Kai. He pointed to the last door of the three in the hallway.

"That's your room. There's a refresher that connects to the room." He pointed to the door at the beginning of the hall, the one closest to where they were standing. "That's mine, and the next one is the supply closet. Go get cleaned up and change your clothes. The kitchen is down at the landing bay. Come down if you like. If not, I'll see you when we land."  
He walked back to the ladder, and looked back at Kai, and she shifted on her feet. That fear was back in her eyes.  
However, she nodded and walked down the hall to her door, and pressed the button to open the door and it closed behind her with a hiss, her hands beginning to shake.

She placed the bundle down on the bed, and wiped a tear away as it fell. She undid the wrapping and a set of clothes of clothes was revealed, including a set of boots.

_So that's why we stopped at the market, _she thought offhandedly as she pulled her own shoes off.

She wandered over to the refresher and took a deep breath as she saw the sonic shower. Everything was so unfamiliar, so uncertain. But this was her new life. She had get used to it.

Yet, that evening she didn't stop crying, and she didn't try to stop either, because she was in the most intense emotional pain she'd ever been in her life.

She didn't care if Ozan heard her, or the entire galaxy. But as she sat down on her bed, she knew she had decided something. It was simple.

She loved her mom. Viya had taken the one last good thing out of her life, which was her fatal mistake. Because she didn't understand. She didn't understand the consequences of such an action.

Kai would avenge her mother, no matter what it took.

*refresher – bathroom for personal care

Author's Note: Sorry this one seemed kind of long. Thanks for being patient, and thanks for the support!


	3. Chapter 3

_~~13 years later~~_

Kai came out of hyperspace and was greeted by the sight of Coruscant, a planet made of over 5,000 levels and one of the most heavily populated places in the galaxy. It also happened to be the location of her new job, and where she was to meet her employers.

It had been mysterious, how it all had happened. She had gotten a call on her comm, but the signal had been scrambled, not allowing her to see where they were calling from, or their physical features. A kind and polite voice had greeted her, and laid out the contract quite clearly.

She might have had more questions, but they had given her credits up front just for accepting the job, which meant this organization had deep pockets, and she needed the money for her ship and weapons.

She set the coordinates on her control module and let her ship fly on its own for the most part, once it had entered the atmosphere. As she flew into the city, she was shocked, as always, by the vast amounts of speeders and transports that greeted her.

She neared the place of her employment, and her heart stuttered, and she stood up slightly in her seat. "No." she whispered, not daring to believe her eyes.

In front of her, undoubtly where she was supposed to land, as indicated by the blinking light on the panel in front of her, was the base of the Grand Army of the Republic. The clean grey stone used to construct the base shone in the evening light and she shook her head in amazement. There had to be hundreds of buildings down there, not to mention the soldiers to fill them.

The Republic had hired her. That fact swept through her and she barked out a laugh as she sat back down. A government had asked her to work for them. A grin came over her face. Deep pockets indeed.

She could already see new weapon systems for her ship, not to mention a makeover for the engine, one she had been planning to get for a long time. But as she got closer to the base, a nervous feeling filled her stomach, making her leg bounce.

_Why am I so nervous?_ She asked herself, as she observed tanks lined up, and others walking towards in the direction of a transport.

_Probably because it's so big._ she thought. She had taken many jobs over the past few years, but never for the government of the galaxy, and certainly not during the middle of a war.

"This is the Grand Army of the Republic, communications. You have entered unauthorized territory. Identify yourself immediately or you will be shot down." A firm, clipped voice came through her speaker, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Right." She pressed the button and spoke loudly and clearly. "This is Silent Hawk. I'll transmit the code I was given to you right now. Do not fire. I repeat, do not fire."  
A few button presses later, she got a response. "These are a Jedi's codes. How did you get them?" Whoever was on the other end was starting to sound extremely suspicious, and Kai rolled her eyes before leaning forward.

"Alright, listen up hothead. I got those codes from my employer, that called me two weeks ago. Didn't see a face, only heard a voice, that told me they were in need of my talents. He said when I got to my location, I was to transmit those codes. If you don't like it, at least give me somewhere to land, and you can interrogate me in person. Deal?" A moment of silence greeted her, and she tapped her console lighting with her fingernails.  
"Negative. That wont be necessary. Land on platform 6A, and the generals will meet with you shortly. Your escort will show you where to go. Welcome to the base." He cut off of their communication before she could come back with something, disappointing her greatly.

"They better be more friendly than you.." she joked to him even though he couldn't hear her. She looked out her viewport and was greeted with the sight of two V-19 Torrent fighters fly close, and stable with her wings.  
"Just follow us down, and we'll show you were to go." Kai's eyebrows rose as the same voice came through her speaker, though this one seemed to have more of a gruff overtone, than the crisp voice at the beginning.

"Alright boys. Thanks a lot. You guys sound the same. Has anyone ever told you that?" She asked, and got both to laugh in return, their voices almost exactly like the first.  
"Oh yeah, all the time. Perks of being a clone ma'am." The pilot to her left joked, and she saw him wave a hand in greeting, and then point down, signaling their descent.

Her landing gear was activated as she neared the ground and she settled with a small thud. She left her control panel, to head to the cargo bay and door. She grabbed her jacket on the way by, and slung it on. She zipped it up, which the blaster she had placed on her side. She grabbed her backpack which contained her few belongings and sets of clothes, and settled it comfortably on her shoulders. Making sure her knife was secure in her thigh holster, she took a deep breath, and pressed the button to open the doors, and was greeted by the sounds of an army.

Shouted voices, the sounds of individual running feet, not to mention the sight of platoons of soldiers running back and forth. Fighters flew overhead, their engines creating a familiar whine, which blended with the deeper roar of transports.

She turned her gaze to her left and was greeted by a small group of people that approached.  
The one at the front was the very famous Obi-Wan Kenobi, the negotiator. Oh yes, she had seen his pictures all over the holonet. Next to him was the equally famous Anakin Skywalker, as attractive in person as he was in the holonet, which made her smirk.

Then her gaze turned to the two men walking side by side, and she had to keep her eyebrows from climbing into her hairline.

These men, they were clones, of that there was no question. And they both peered down at her with some of the most beautiful amber eyes she had ever seen in her life.

One had a distinct scar on the left side of his eye, and he stood tall and straight with thick black hair cut to what she assumed was the standard cut, if the other matching haircuts that passed by were anything to go by. His armor was striped with orange, and he had a visor on his helmet that the other next to him did not.

The other soldier standing next to him looked the same, but his hair was short and blonde, drawing most of the attention his armor and face.

He stared at Kai with an expression that could only be described as intense curiosity, and she kept her blue eyes steady on his. Her gaze broke as Anakin stepped closer to her.

He put his hand forward and she grasped it, surprised at the extremely strong grip he had. He gestured to his left, to the man in the blue armor with a smile. "This is my first in command, Captain Rex." Rex nodded to her respectfully, and she copied him, her head dipped with a small amount of respect.

"501st, ma'am, we're glad to have you here." He said simply, his voice much deeper than the clones she had heard in the Torrents.

"And I am Obi-Wan Kenobi, and this is Commander Cody, of the 212th." Obi-wan offered, and the soldier standing next to him, offered a small smile in her direction.

They all walked inside, and after winding around in what seemed like an identical white wall maze, they entered a room, a command center by the looks of it.

They gathered around the table, and Kai took a deep breath, before leaning her hands on the table and cracking her neck. "I have to be honest. I have no idea why I'm here, and I'm really not comfortable with not knowing. So if you could just, you know, fill me in on that part, that would be absolutely wonderful." She raised an eyebrow at the four men, waiting for an answer.

The door hissed open behind her, and a voice, old yet strong answered her. "You to train our soldiers, we wanted. Mighty warrior, are you." She turned, expecting to meet eye level with the person who had just spoken, when her gaze turned downward.

This Jedi couldn't have been more than two and a half feet tall, and he walked with a cane. He stared up at her, with deep brown eyes filled with knowledge and wisdom. He walked over to a portion of the floor and it raised into a seat, so that he could properly look at her face to face.  
"This is Master Yoda, ma'am." Cody stated as he saluted respectfully to the Jedi master. She noticed Rex had done the same. He acknowledged them with a kind nod and smile, and turned his attention back to Kai.

"You want me to…train your men?" she cocked her head, confused. "I thought you wanted to make use of my skills. I thought that would be hunting, and fighting."

"Oh we will have certain need for all of those things." Obi-Wan interjected, as he gestured with his hand. "But we also hear that you are quite the proficient fighter as well."  
Kai scrunched her nose, and blew out a harsh breath. "Yeah, but there are others that are just as good, or better than I am. I'm good, but I'm nowhere near the best. If you wanted the best, you should have contacted Cad Bane, or Embo. They'd get the job done."

"Sense you in the force, we did." Yoda explained, and she tilted her head, brushing the hair away from the left side of her face.  
"I'm not sure I follow, Jedi." She said, her stomach churning with nervousness. She didn't have much experience with Jedi, but she'd heard stories, and she wasn't sure she wanted to find out how this _force_ worked.

"What Master Yoda is trying to say, is that every person is unique and different in the force. When we were mediating, we knew there was someone, who was supposed to be here, with us, training our troopers, and fighting with us. Someone who was needed at this time, at this place. And that someone was you. When we saw your face on the list of candidates, we knew it was you. The force has plans for us all, you included." Obi Wan finished and looked at her steadily.

"You need the repairs. I've seen your ship. And this is a safe place where you can be. And if there are other jobs nearby where we are, you have the freedom to pursue those." Anakin argued convincingly, and Kai narrowed her eyes, her mind flitting through all the options. They both presented an extremely compelling argument. Her ship was in desperate need of repair, and her ammunition was extremely low for all of her weapons. There would be fuel, food, and housing that she wouldn't have to pay for.  
"How do I know that you won't throw me into one of your prisons, the moment you wanted me gone?" She asked, and Anakin had the nerve to chuckle as he started to answer.

"We're allowing you to be completely armed, at all times. I think we'd have a hard time, given your record, putting you anywhere you don't want to be." His eyes cheerfully met hers, and despite her better judgment, she felt herself relax.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." She turned her gaze to the captain and commander that were standing slightly off to the side, conversing with each other.  
"What are your men like? You sure they'll take orders and suggestions from someone like me?" She asked, and Rex nodded, his mouth lifting up in a slight smile. It was clear he held his fellow soldiers in high regard.

"They're the best soldiers in the galaxy, ma'am. I'd trust any of them with my life." He informed her and Cody offered another handsome smile, before stepping closer.  
"The veterans may take some convincing but the shinies, I mean the newer troopers, will listen to you. There's no need to worry." He said, and she took a deep breath, to relax.  
"Alright. Good to hear. Now, where exactly will I be staying? May I go now?" She asked, and everyone nodded. The Jedi grouped together, and Anakin offered a friendly farewell before they exited the room, already deep in conversation. She grimaced. She was more than happy to let them deal with their complicated mess, without her getting involved. The less she had to deal with the Jedi, the better for her.

Cody walked to the door and opened it and Rex stepped up next to her. "We know where you are going to be put. May we show you where it is?" He asked, and she had to swallow and look away from the raw intense honesty that lay in those eyes.  
"Y-yes. I would like that. All these halls," she laughed, walking to the door with him, "they all look the same. How did you ever get to telling them apart?"  
The door closed behind them and they took off down the hall, taking the first right.  
"To be honest, Kamino doesn't look much different. I just guess we got used to it. And I'm sure you will too. It just takes time." Rex explained, his hands clasped behind his back, his kama swinging as he walked.

Another left. "Kamino? Isn't that the planet that rains, like constantly?" Kai asked, and Cody chuckled beside her. "Yes it does. Never seemed to stop when I was there. But I don't mind it."

Right. Kai looked over at Rex, and thought for a moment before asking. "Shinies. What does that mean? You mentioned the name earlier, but I don't understand." She asked him, and he nodded, understandingly.  
"Shiny is a term that we give our new troopers, that have just completed training and graduation. They haven't been in any real combat yet, so their armor is always perfectly white and shiny. So.." he gestured with his hands and Kai's face lit up in understanding.  
"So you call them shinies. I get it now." She walked past a group of troopers and they all turned to look at her. Some of them smiled and waved, others stared in what seemed to be awe and surprise, but a firm word from Cody had them scurrying about their appointed tasks.  
"Pardon the rudeness ma'am. It's just that many of them have never seen a woman outside of the Jedi order before. You're new to them."  
Kai waved away his apology. "No, no it's totally fine. They seem like wonderful soldiers. And you don't have to call me ma'am." She looked at him, then Rex, and smirked. "Neither of you do. My name's Kai, and I'm a bounty hunter. There's no need for the title, I assure you."

"Understood, Kai." Rex repeated her name with a small grin, and she felt her heart jump a bit at the kind expression on her face.

She hadn't felt like this since…She closed her eyes for a moment, and pictured his face. He had been so good to her. But she couldn't afford to go over past mistakes. Not right now. Right now she had a job to do.

They had been so busy talking, that she hadn't noticed the many other corners they'd gone around to finally reach her room. Cody pressed a series of buttons into the keypad on the side, and the door slid open.  
"This is your room. The soldier's barracks for the 501st are two doors down on your left, and the door next to yours is a supply closet. Follow the hall to the right and you reach the infirmary. Futher down the hall is my men, the 212th. I hope you don't mind that we've placed you in the middle of the action. This room has just been converted into a living space."  
Kai set a hand on the doorframe, and stared into the small room. It seemed quite cozy and she immediately felt at ease, at the small size. It was perfect.  
"Thank you both. I'm sure that we will see each other very soon. What time tomorrow morning should I be at the training facility?" She asked, and Rex checked a data pad he pulled off of his belt, his eyes reflecting the light from the screen.  
"We start training at 0700. I'd suggest being there a few minutes prior to starting." His eyebrows dipped in confusion at her disappointed groan.

"I see you're all early risers here. I guess that's something else I'll have to get used to." She joked, and lifted her hand in gratitude. "Thank you again, both of you."  
They both nodded, and walked off down the hall, their boots thudding against the ground, leaving her to turn around and close the door behind her. She took a deep breath, and looked at her new surroundings. It was a small room, with light grey walls. To her left ahead of her, a bed lay against one wall, and a small table with a drawer lay next to it, with a small lamp that faced the bed. She could see the open door straight across the room that led to a bathroom, and she poked her head in. A small shower, but it would be wonderful to have her own, and not have to worry about the water supply. She backed up and walked over to the, sitting on the edge, as she threw her backpack near the foot of the mattress. She laid back and looked at the ceiling, letting her thoughts drift.

Kai knew that because of her lifestyle, planning out what she wanted was not a possibility, but despite that she still could dream.

She imaged that one day, she would hit the best jobs, which would give her the credits she would finally need to settle down somewhere, with a small house, maybe some land for farming. There she would meet someone, and they would have a family, just like she had once had. And her children would know the love of a mother, just as she had known.

A tear slid down her cheek, as she thought about her mother. She thought 13 years would take the pain away, but it didn't. True, it didn't hurt nearly as bad as it had at the beginning, but there was still that empty hollow place in her chest. She sat back up and wiped her face, looking once again at the door. Maybe this job was somehow an answer to her plan. Maybe it would give the credits she needed, or maybe it would last just long enough for her to be able to survive out in the world again. Either way, this was her life, and as Ozan had taught her countless times, it was what one did with their situation that mattered. This was her life now, and she was determined to give it her best shot.


	4. Chapter 4

(Hello everyone! Finals has only let me write 1/3 of Chapter 4 this week, so I present with you, a filler chapter of sorts, with questions about our dear Shae and Ozan. May this appease y'all, while avoiding spoilers. I promise there will be another chapter very soon in the future! The numbers were chosen by friends so here you are, and the list was given to me by a friend many many moons ago.)

1\. What are they like when they've gotten too little sleep?  
A: Shae is very, very grouchy. She gets super quiet, and will take any opportunity to fall back asleep, in whatever place is most convenient. Those places include, pilot's chairs, lounge chairs, windows, command centers, whatever she finds. Ozan has never had enough sleep, so he continues to be the grouchy, wonderful man he is. 

2\. How do they react to/deal with betrayal?  
A: Shae gets very hurt, angry and defensive, since she has a strong sense of love and friendship with people. If Ozan hadn't saved her, I'm sure that sense of friendship would have disappeared, but he's been able to keep that strong. Ozan won't show his hurt, but it's there. He's had crews betray him before, which is why he refuses to every join another. He is a solo fighter, and that will never change. Except now there's Shae. So there's that. 

3\. What do they think they're good at, but aren't?  
Shae thinks she's good at repairing clothes, but she's really not. She does a rough job and thinks it's good enough, and it works for the most part but it isn't pretty by any means. You can see the stitches usually. And Ozan thinks he's a good cook. As long as it has a vegetable, a protein source, and a drink, he's sure he's made as fine of a meal as you'd find in most resteraunts. But he really needs to learn the use of spices.

4\. What is something they think they're bad at, but are actually pretty competent  
at?  
Shae, ironically doesn't think she's a good cook. But she cooked for her and Ozan once, and he was secretely floored. He compltimented her of course, he's not rude. And then he started to watch her when she cooked, so he could see what to change. She'll critique every dish she makes, not acknowledging how great it is. And Ozan is good at drawing, but if you ever compliment them, then he just says "It's nothing. Just a sketch." You know, a beautiful sketch of the view, or people. Just a sketch.

5\. Do they have any bad habits?  
Shae is really bad about putting her clothes back in her closet, but on a more seirous note, she constantly puts herself in danger. She just learned to throw herself in, due to her life, to save her life and others as well. And Ozan never washes his dishes.

6\. Sacrifice the one to save the many, or save the one no matter the cost?  
Shae and Ozan both believe in saving the one, and you can see that when Ozan buys Shae to protect her.

7\. What is their most embarrassing memory?  
Shae was walking away from a trade deal with another crew, yes a pirate crew, with Ozan, and tripped over a rock and nearly face planted. She kept walking though, with her head held high, and her cheeks burning. Ozan's most embarrassing memory was a long time ago, trying to convince his older brother he was ready to fight, and knew how to fight, yet couldn't load a blaster correctly. But he learned, and now he can reload in record time. 

8\. What do they like to wear?  
Shae loves to wear cool rings and bracelets she finds on different planets but they're not blingy, and if it comes between fashion and comfort, she'll pick comfort. She likes stretchy material, and warm fluffy jackets. And Ozan loves arm bands, especially leather ones, but hasn't worn one in a long time, in honor of one of the people close to his heart who died.

9\. Least favorite color?  
Shae hates pink with a passion, and for some reason he hasn't figured out, Ozan doesn't like lilac. He prefers a deep purple, if he has to have that color. 

10\. Sunrise or sunset?  
Ozan loves the sunrise, and he'll often get up early if they're dirtside, so that he can see it on the loading ramp. Shae loves sunset, especially when it's over water, like an ocean or a lake. Sunset means it's not to early in the morning too, because she absolutely detests waking up early.

11\. Favorite kind of weather?  
Shae is pretty happy with all weather. She's good with a warm and sunny day, or when there's thunder and lightening. But she liked to be inside when it's raining, not outside where she can get wet and cold. So the hanger bay in Kamino (Duh, she knows clones. She's going to end up there eventually) is one of her favorite places to relax, of course with a jacket. 

12\. How indicisive are they?  
Shae's an interesting case. She's good at taking care of herself and others, no problem. She may second guess it a little, but she knows that she wants to help protect and strengthen herself and others, so her decisions are pretty solid.  
But when it comes to smaller things, like food or clothing for the day, she can be pretty indecisive. She'll make a decision eventually...one day. 

13\. How would you describe their decorating sense?  
Shae is very comfy and cozy. She loves throw blankets, something she's never really had but fell in love with when she decided to get one for her ship. It was at the market, and it was so incredibly soft. Now there's one in her room on Coruscant, and a bunch in the break room for the clones. Because the clones deserve soft things. And she loves collecting things that mean something to her, though she doesn't collect much. They have to have a story. Ozan doesn't decorate hardly at all. He has two items, one from his wife, and a statue from one of his close friends. That's it. 

14\. How do they react to feelings of guilt?  
Shae tends to overthinks things a lot, and tends to believe the feelings of guilt, and gets kind of agitated and upset. She definetely needs help talking things through, but she's good at hiding it too. Ozan deals with it well, because he's been alive for a long time, so he's worked on how to best deal with feelings such as that.

15\. Describe the way they sleep.  
Shae, for a bounty hunter, sleeps surprisingly deep. And personal space is meaningless. She can sprawl to take up a whole bed if she's able, and she wont feel bad about. And Ozan sleeps on his stomach a lot, even if he falls asleep on his back originally. And he wonders why his necks a bit stiff in the morning.

16\. Why might someone love them?  
Shae has such a big heart. She wants others to feel loved, and accepted around her, and she's always willing to listen. She has a good sense of humor too, and is always up for spontaneous things, so be ready to laugh when she's with you. And Ozan is lovable because he's good. That's the best way I can describe him. He had almost no second thought about buying an 11 year old, and taking care of her. Not many people would do that. But he'll deny it to the end of the earth.

18\. What's their best scar?

A: Ozan has a really cool one across his chest from when someone caught him with a knife. He learned how to dodge after that, but it still hurt and left a mean scar. And Shae has one that's on her shoulder, from not being able to dodge a blaster bolt fast enough. It stretches all the way across her deltoid.

19\. How do they deal/react to pain?  
it's really serious, Shae's pretty quiet. If it's minor, she can complain a lot more, and just generally grumpy if the pain is lasting for a long time. And Ozan is actually very good at dealing with his pain, but if he gets a headache, you'll just find him hiding in his room with a cloth over his eyes. 

20\. 17. What are they like when they're drunk?  
Ozan is very quiet, thoughtful and serious, which is honestly not that different from how he is normally. Meanwhile, Shae is very happy, and will laugh at things, even if they're not that funny, but she'll think it's hilarious.

That's it! I hope you enjoyed it and thank you so much for your support, and for being patient with me! I appreciate it so much! 💙- Kaishae 


	5. Chapter 5

"I still don't understand why we have to be up this early. It's still dark outside." Kai yawned as she complained. Ozan had come and pulled her out of her room, after instructing her to get dressed for a tracking exercise. He was already in his usual long overcoat, a linen pair of pants, and a simple shirt. His gun was slung over his back, the strap well-worn from years of use.

"That is the point of this morning, Kai. Dawn is one of the hardest times to see other targets and tracking clues, but that's where you'll have the advantage if you've trained right. Now come down to the bay. There's some breakfast for you." He instructed, and slid down the ladder, his feet making a solid thud as he hit the ground and walked to what served as their kitchen.

Kai rolled her eyes and pulled on her own black jacket that she had gotten a few weeks ago when they had gone to the market. She zipped it up with a frustrated sigh, and slid down after him. As soon as she reached the bottom floor, A6 rolled out greeting her happily. He'd been much friendlier after his new paint job she had given him, and his body was now a deep maroon, with crisp white lines. She leaned down and pressed a kiss onto the top of his dome, and in response he waved a tool hand at her, motioning her to go away. He beeped at her with irritation and she shook her head, a smile on her lips as she bit down on some of the offered fruit.

"Wrong. It's not at all possible to give you too much love, A6. And as much as you argue, you love it." Kai said affectionately, and she chugged the bottle of water that had been placed there by Ozan.

Say what she would about him, he kept her safe, warm and well fed. He took good care of her, and she'd have to be an idiot to not see that. And as much as she tried to deny it, she did feel a small spark of affection for the quiet, gruff man who had found her. He wasn't overly affectionate, he didn't tuck her in at night like her mom used to, but if she struggled with her grief, he would put his coat over her, or give her hand a small pat as he walked by.

He also pushed her, and he pushed her hard. She would carry most of the supplies, to strengthen her muscles. She exercised for at least hours a day, to strengthen her lungs and heart. And he promised after she had mastered the basics of a blaster, she would get a knife to add to her collection.

But most importantly, he _listened. _He listened to her rant and mourn about what happened to her village and family, and even listened with amusement at her outrage on the newest episode on the holoshow she watched. She knew for him, that spoke volumes, and though her heart ached for her mother she knew she was lucky to have him.

After finishing her simple breakfast, she walked over to where her own blaster lay on the crate. Ozan had gotten it for her a week ago, finally feeling that she was ready to have a blaster to call hers, instead of simply borrowing his, and this was the third time he had had her practice. He seemed determined to get her as skilled as possible in the quickest amount of time.  
As she strapped on the holster, she watched him as he walked out of the kitchen and tucked some water containers as well as food packets into the pack he carried on his back. It was going to be a long day, apparently and she suppressed another long sigh.

A-6 had apparently piloted their ship to where they needed to be, because instead of the engine continuing to run, it powered down and the door opened, revealing the black sky outside, with the horizon still dark, no sunlight to be seen. They walked outside, and started towards some grassy hills that cracked into canyons and she hefted the pack on her shoulders with a sigh, this time audible. Ozan ignored her, of course. He never did pay attention to her mild complaining.  
"_Here we go." _She thought, and they took off across the rough terrain.

"Are we almost there yet? Why didn't we bring speeders?" Shae groaned as they continued to walk. They had been going for 30 minutes, and the mountains didn't look much closer than when they'd started. She was sure it was just their position but it made for a long walk. The only difference now was that there was a thin line of blue at the horizon where the sun was beginning to rise.

"I did not teach you to complain, child. We didn't bring speeders, because you do not improve your hardiness by simply riding your way to somewhere." Ozan pointed out, his eyebrow raised as he stepped over a large. They were now approaching the canyon, the rocks and grass evening out beneath their feet.

"I know." Shae responded, and jumped down from another long rock she had been walking on. "But as you said, you didn't teach me to complain, so I can keep going." She quipped, and he chuckled, his lips pulling into a small smile.

"I suppose you're right." He agreed and set a hand on her shoulder. "We stop here. I will take the pack now, and if you want to eat lunch any time soon, you will find me." He instructed and Shae opened her mouth in protest.

"Ozan! That's not—" He cut her off with a stern look and she scowled. "It's not fair." She muttered and he shook his head with another small smile.  
"Complaining will not help you Kai. I have taught you as much as I can about tracking without actually showing you. So now starts the practical training."

He motioned to his blaster on his left side which was mirrored on her right. "You are to only use this if you are in danger, understood?" He asked, and when she nodded he continued. "You don't need it to track so keep it in your holster, but turn the safety off."

She pressed the button and it felt like the gun sucked in a mass amount of heat, and it was near to burning her. It was dangerous now. She had to be careful. He never had her take the safety off when he wasn't around.  
He pointed to a rock. "You will sit here for 10 minutes. Then you will come find me. Do you understand?" he asked, but his rough voice carried a small trace of kindness and Kai's lips twitched in a smile.  
"Yeah, yeah. I get it. Wait here, then come find you so I can have some food. Should be easy enough." She boasted, and he chuckled.  
"If I've taught you well, yes, it should be easy enough. Now, close your eyes for 2 minutes." He told her and she closed them obediently. She began counting the seconds under her breath and she stopped hearing his footsteps after 20. She was so tempted to open her eyes, but knowing Ozan, he would simply start the whole exercise over again, and this time, make it twice as hard.

So, she laid back on the rock and kept her eyes closed until her two minutes were up, and then she set her chrono for 8 minutes. As the clock counted down, she flicked rocks off of the one she was sitting on with a bored sigh.

When the chrono finally beeped, signifying the time was up, she dropped the rock she was crumbling against a harder stone, and stood up, dusting off the seat and legs of her pants. She rechecked that her blaster was secure and then turned her gaze to the ground. Time to put his training to the test.

"_Always check the ground first for sign of life." _He had told her, and she turned her eyes to the ground. The grass underneath her feet was soft and springy which created a problem where the footsteps didn't stay. She walked carefully and scanned the ground as she approached the canyon between the two hills.

Then she saw it. The print from the toe of a boot, and she smiled. She saw the trajectory of where he had most likely gone, and she started jogging until she hit the tree line. These trees ranged from new growths, nearly at her knee to grand trees that towered so far above her that it made her dizzy to look. She rubbed her eyes and focused on the branches at Ozan's height.

She followed what she figured was his likely trajectory, and continued to scan the ground and trees for hints. When she saw a bent branch, she knew this was a practice run. He was leaving these hints for her and he wanted her to find him. Well, she knew she was more than prepared to find the hints, so she decided to speed up, crossing the ground at a jog, rather than a walk.

Her hunch was correct, as she passed barely moved rocks, broken twigs, and bent foliage.

Her smile split her face as she spied two rocky outcroppings. She knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that Ozan was through there. She wiped the grin off her face, and set her blaster to stun before placing it on the ground. She reached up to the straps on her back, and tightened them so that it rested snugly to her body. As she reached down to pick up her gun, the high-pitched whine of a shot greeted her ears. A blaster shot. She jumped back from her blaster but looked at it confusedly. The barrel wasn't heated, and wasn't smoking. That shot wasn't fired by her. As if to mock her current befuddlement, what seemed like a dozen other blaster shots greeted her. Then it hit her and her blood turned to ice.

"Ozan." She whispered as she picked up her blaster in shaking hands. He was in trouble, and she had no idea what to do. Her breath rang in her head, almost drowning out the shots. What was she supposed to do? She closed her eyes and let out a deep breath. Ozan had always told her to find the high ground and she stared up at the rocky hill head of her. She took off running and scaled the incline, falling down on her knees a couple times in a puff of dust. She finally scrambled to the top and she dropped to her stomach, wincing in pain as a rock dug into her ribs. She peered over the edge and was greeted by the sight of laser bolts, some of which left black scored marks on the rocks.

She switched her gun back to live rounds, and leveled her blaster with shaking hands and kept breathing until her grip tightened, and steadied, and she aimed at a man who was undoubtedly firing at Ozan. From her angle, she could see him crouching behind a boulder, with his trademark coat. She pressed the trigger and her own blue bolt fired into the man, knocking him back a step and onto his stomach. She gasped, and blinked the dirt of her eyes, as she pointed it at another man. Another jerk of the blaster and he lay still. A returning shot hit the ground next to her and she yelped as she dodged the bits of rock that flew her way.

As she rolled over onto her stomach again, she saw Ozan stand up and fire boldly at the four men in front of him, and she bit her lip so hard that was sure she was going to bleed. He was trying to protect her. She hadn't ever seen him do anything like this, not since he bought her those many months ago.

She got up from where she was and scrambled down the rise until she found a crack between the two rocks, and she hoped it led to the firefight. She slid in between the small slot canyon, a snag catching her shoulder, and she hissed as she felt it cut. She reached the end, and arrived just in time to Ozan wobble back as he clutched his chest, his eyes twisted in pain above his scarf.  
Only two men had survived the firefight that had occurred while she was in the canyon and she felt an odd cry leave her throat. She almost felt like it hadn't come from herself, but from someone near her. This was no happening again to her. She couldn't lose someone else.

She watched herself lift her blaster and pull the trigger, hitting one enemy then the next. She swayed on her feet as she watched them hit the ground and she quickly holstered her blaster, sure she was going to drop it if she didn't. She stared at their motionless bodies, and she felt her eyes burn with tears. She had never killed anyone before today and she kept waiting for them to stand up and continue fighting.

Suddenly a pained groan greeted her and she glanced over to find Ozan attempting to stand up. She rushed to his side and put her hand on his shoulder, stopping him from moving further. "Ozan. You're hurt." She said and he looked up at her and dragged down the cloth covering his face so he could speak to her.  
"We need…" He coughed, his breathing ragged "to get back to the ship. There's a medpack there. Help me up." He instructed and she put her shoulder under his arm and ignored the feeling of his arm rubbing against her cut.  
He stood with a pained hiss, and stayed in a hunched over position, his hand clutched to his chest. She grabbed his rifle from his side, and they made their way to the cleft in the rock.

He stumbled over the rocks in their path, and at one point his trip caused Kai to fall to her knees, the now grassy path cushioning her fall. She looked over at Ozan and shook him slightly with her shoulder, causing his closed eyes to flicker open.  
"Don't pass out on me, Ozan. You know I can't carry you." She forced out as she finally made it to her feet again.

His head lolled and he grumbled something under his breath, that she couldn't here. She managed to make it to the rocks she had originally sat at, and pressed on towards the ship. They had to get there soon.  
"Droid." He said suddenly, and she looked over at him before stopping.  
"What? What do you mean?" She asked, and he looked at her, his eyes in slits. "Call A6. He can get the ship to—" he managed to get out before slumping to his knees, dragging her down too. She wiggled out from underneath his arm and laid him back against the rock, trying to place his head in a comfortable position before rifling through his pocket, and grabbing the comm unit.

"A6, are you there?" She asked, and waited for only a few seconds before answering beeps hit her ears. She nearly cried with relief.  
"Listen, I need you to pilot the ship to this location. Ozan's hurt, and I can't carry him any further." She pleaded as she sat on a rock next to him, her hand on his shoulder. "Hurry. Please."

He assured her he'd be there as soon as he could, and she laid her head in her hands. She kept them there, her eyes fixed on the ground, until she heard the whine of an engine, and the wind that always followed a landing.

Their ship's docking feet met the ground and the ramp opened to reveal a very concerned A6. He wheeled down to where she was and began waving tool arms around, beeping and whistling concernedly.

"He got shot." Kai explained. "Must have been raiders in the canyon." She hefted him up again, and he muttered something under his breath as his head rolled back.

She managed to get him up the ramp and onto the floor, where she asked A6 to find a medpack, while she worked to steady her breathing. She rolled up a blanket they had laying around, and carefully placed it under his shoulders and head and gently unwound the cloth from his neck. His brow was furrowed in pain, and he winced as she pulled his jacket aside.

A6 wheeled out from the storage closet, just as she exposed the wound. She knew in theory what to do, from her mother's training, and some of Ozan's, but this was the first time she had seen a blaster wound that wasn't on a holovid.

She opened the med kit, and pulled out a pain reliever and inserted it into his neck, at the spot the instructions indicated, wincing as she felt the needle move. After sanitizing the area.

She pulled out a bacta patch, and peeled off the back, before placing it over his wound, sealing down the edges.

Ozan's eyelids twitched, and opened, his eyes meeting hers. He seemed to take in the fact that he was laying on the floor, and no doubt felt the patch on his chest.  
"What happened?" he asked, and Shae sat on the floor next to them, digging out a water container, and cracking open the lid. She grabbed the back of his head, and offered him the drink, which he accepted gratefully. When he had taken his fill, she leaned back and opened another for herself, and took a long gulp.  
"You got shot by some bandits, I think. So, I hauled you back, and called A6 to pick us up." She told him and he nodded thoughtfully before turning to the droid, and gave him instructions in his native language, a location to take the ship no doubt. A6 disappeared up into the cockpit and she felt the familiar pull as they took off and exited the atmosphere.

"Why did you come get me?" Ozan asked as they settled in, and Kai looked at him, her eyes wide as her mouth worked to form words.  
"W-Why wouldn't I? I couldn't leave you to die. This is your ship and we're a team." She replied, and he shook his head.

"Try again, child." He instructed, and she furrowed her brow in frustration. "You could have left me there, and not endangered your own life," he gestured to her arm and she saw a blaster score on her sleeve. Now that she focused she could feel a slight sting from the graze. "yet you chose to come find me, kill those who threatened me, and get us back to the ship. You could have escaped with a good amount of credits, excellent weapons, and enough cargo to be happy for a long time. So why did you save my life?" He asked again and she looked down at her hands, tears filling her eyes. He knew why, but he was making her say it, and she tamped down her anger she felt towards him in that instant. He was far too good to her, she decided.

"Because…" She answered hoarsely. "Because I couldn't leave you to die. I couldn't just..." she gestured helplessly, and looked over at him with exasperation. "What else do you want me to say, huh? I didn't want you to..." Her voice cracked and she felt tears flow down her face and she covered her eyes with a hand.

Ozan placed a warm hand on her other hand, and gently squeezed her fingers. She met his eyes, and they reflected kindness back at her, and it allowed the sentence she was afraid of to exit her lips.

"I didn't want you to die like my mother did." She managed to say, and her voice cracked as she looked away. "She died just like that. Unable to fight back, and overwhelmed. I couldn't leave...leave you." She finally said, and she felt Ozan's arms wrap around her, pressing her to him comfortingly. She hadn't seen him sit up, but she leaned into him and let herself cry.  
"I am so proud of you, Kai." He said, his voice rumbling in his chest, and she cried harder, her fists clenched and her eyes shut tightly. Her mother had told that to her too, all the time. She had never wondered if she was proud. She just always knew.

Ozan continued, "You did well today. You found me, and saved my life. You are a brave child." He reassured her, and she wiped her eyes and face with her sleeve as she leaned up.

"I told you to stop calling me that." She managed to reply, and he chuckled.

"That may never happen." He argued, and she took deep breaths to calm her breathing, continuing to wipe residual tears away. "You will always be a child to me, even when your hair becomes gray." He told her, and she sat up straighter and wiped her face again. The tears seemed to have stopped the time being.

"That's not fair for you to say. You don't have gray hair." She replied, and helped him out of his coat, so he could switch his shirt. "And you're assuming that we both make it to that age." She joked, and he leveled his eyes at her.

"You know my hair isn't naturally this shade of blue, right?" He asked, and she squinted in confusion and tilted her head.  
"It's not?" She asked hesitantly, and he barked out a laugh, and she scowled at him as she stood up, and helped him up as well. "What? It's not like I know everything there is to know about Zeltrons. Your skin is red. Why shouldn't your hair be navy blue?"  
They walked up to the cockpit, and he let himself fall into the seat with a groan. "My hair is streaked with gray, young one. I color it so others don't get the idea I'm frail and easy to take advantage of." He explained and she shrugged as she sat in the copilot's seat.  
"I'm not sure they would think that, even if you let your hair go naturally." She threw at him, as she focused on the readings in front of her. He was in the middle of teaching her what they all meant. She knew what electronic readings meant when it came to speeders, but this ship was much more complex.

He grunted in response, and set the coordinates to another location. She decided to tease him further. "That's also assuming that I make it to that age as well. Old you know, like you." He simply rolled his eyes, and pulled the lever to let them enter lightspeed.  
"You will, if I have anything to do with it." He grumbled, and she chuckled. "Go take a shower, and settle in for the night. We'll land in the morning," he instructed and she got up with a long-suffering sigh.

Climbing down from the cockpit, she walked into her room, and into her bathroom. She showered quickly, washing herself of the dirt and mud from the planet, and pulled on a fresh pair of pants, and a shirt. She laid on her stomach on her bed with her legs crossed and her chin rested on her arms.

"_I am so proud of you, Kai." _Ozan's voice echoed through her head, and she laid her forehead on her arms. She missed hearing that. It seemed like it had been forever since she'd heard those words, and she closed her eyes as pain lanced through her chest. Ozan was good, but he was not her mother, and she missed her horribly.

Kai ran out into the living room, and sat on the couch next to Runa, holding the frozen blue milk cream from their freezer. They had purchased it at the market earlier that day, and finally they got to dig in.

She handed a spoon to her mom, and took a bite, the sweet flavor hitting her tongue, making her smile.  
"So, I finished that series I had to read for school." Kai announced, and Runa put her arm around her and gave her a hug, then took another bite when Kai handed her the container.

"How long did that take you again?" Runa asked, and Kai smiled proudly as she answered.  
"It took me only 2 months. My teacher said that I'm one of the fastest readers she has and she's going to give me another series to read." It had been a difficult collection, but she had finally managed to get the hang of the wording and had finished the book written in formal Core world style weeks ahead of her other classmates.

Runa put a hand on hers and looked into her eyes, green mixed with brown reflecting on blue, and she kissed her forehead. "I am so proud of you, Kai. You are such a smart girl. I love you." She praised her and Kai's cheeked flushed as she smiled back.  
"Thanks, mom. I love you too." She held her mother's hand for a moment, releasing it with a squeeze.  
"Can we watch some holotv before bed?" She asked, and Runa nodded, glancing at the chrono on the wall.  
"I think that should be ok. It's still pretty early." She relented, and they turned the tv to their favorite show they watched together, about a woman from a big city adjusting to the ways of a backwater planet, and of course, predictably falling in love with the rugged handsome man of the town.  
She leaned into her mom and took a deep breath, as they finished off their treat. She loved nights like this. Her mom pulled a blanket over her and brushed her hand over her back, and Kai closed her eyes happily.

Kai's eyes dripped with tears as she released the memory and she sat up cross legged, and she used her hands to wipe away her tears. She sighed angrily and walked over to the sink in her bathroom, turning on the water to rinse her face. She looked up in the mirror and dried her face. Leaning on her hands, she stared into the red rimmed eyes reflecting back at her in the mirror.

How did she tell Ozan that she wanted to find the crew that had killed her mom, and exact her anger and revenge on them? She knew he'd probably say no, but it was worth the ask.

She opened her door, and walked over to the cockpit where he was still piloting. Sometime she was absolutely sure he never slept.

"Ozan?" She asked, as she neared the cockpit. "Can I ask you something?"

Ozan nodded, and she sat down, her foot bouncing nervously. When he looked at her with expectant eyes she took a deep breath.  
"How do we find the crew that killed my mom?" She asked, and his eyes hardened, his hands tightening on the controls enough for her to notice.  
"Why do you want to?" He asked and she swallowed before clasping her hands together.  
"Because I think we should take them out, you know, so that they don't hurt other villages like they did mine." She tried to say with some degree of confidence.

He sucked in a deep sigh, and released it like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. He grabbed a nearby medpack and grabbed the painkillers, injecting it into his neck, and he rolled his shoulders as it took effect. He then turned on the autopilot controls, and motioned A6, who had been in the corner when she'd walked in, to take over for any unpredicted events  
He turned his seat to face hers, and leaned so that his elbows were on his knees. "Kai, what you're asking is impossible." He told her and she shook her head with a frown.  
"We could just get some willing partners, and go in. The crew was maybe 35 strong, and I remember them well. With careful planning, we could take down half of them before the rest notices. I know we could." She looked at him with hopeful eyes and she watched him hang his head and shake it before meeting her eyes again.

"Viya is in league of one of the strongest crime syndicates on the galaxy. She's a free acting crew of the Hutt Clan. She just has to fly under the same colors as her boss. If we took her down, and let's say we did," Ozan explained. "we would bring down the full force of the Hutts on us, and that would mean certain death, for whoever was foolish enough to attack them."

Kai's face fell, and she searched Ozan's face for any hint of hope.

"So, we can't...do anything?" She asked, when he shook his head, she clenched her fists. "They killed my entire village!" She protested, and Ozan grabbed her wrists.  
"And I am sorry for that, child. I am." He grimaced and looked away. "I've lost those I love to pirates as well, so know I am well aware of your situation. But you cannot do this. You will die if you even look at them with that intent. Your mother wouldn't want you to die, she would want you to live."  
Kai fought to free her hands, but Ozan held them tightly. "And how do you know what my mother would want? You know nothing about her." She glared at him and he bowed his head, not meeting her gaze.  
"Those we love would want us to live our lives to the fullest. That's what my wife told me before she died."


	6. Chapter 6

In this story I believe that there is generic diversity among the clones, so eye color isn't just lighting. They do have various colors.

AND HEAD'S UP I START A NEW JOB ON WEDNESDAY AND THIS WEEK'S BEEN CRAZY, SO SORRY ABOUT THE SHORTER CHAPTER! (There's 4 bonus questions to appease y'all ;p)

-Coruscant, GAR Base-

Kai groaned as the sounds of her alarm coaxed her brain into alertness. She dragged her hand over her blanket, and to the side table, and tapped the screen twice, silencing it. She then sat up and stretched her arms in front of her, a groan fighting its way clear of her sleep addled throat.

She sat up straight, and took a deep breath before opening her eyes, to her new surroundings. She stood and wandered into the bathroom and washed her face with cold water, before drying it off and taking a brush to her honey colored locks. After that was done, she stretched one more time, twisting once both way to crack her spine, and walked back into her room, going to the closet where she had managed to unpack into before she went to bed.

It was a training day, so when she peeled off the clothes she had fallen asleep in, she opted for a loose pair of black shorts and a grey tank top, sliding on some simple civilian shoes to top off the outfit. She grabbed a sweater as she walked to her desk to grab her comm unit, and her knife, and she slipped both in the pocket as she opened the door.  
Zipping up the jacket, she was immediately greeted by a large variation of troopers headed about their day, many in plain white armor, but many bearing the colors and symbols of their squadrons.

She heard some of them talking about the mess and how the grub was most likely going to be the same as yesterday's, and she nodded happily to herself. So that's where the food was. She was glad she didn't have to ask directions, when she could just follow everyone to the source.

As she assumed, many troopers stopped to wave hello to her, or simply to stare in surprise and she was sure to greet them all with a smile in return. Finally she made it to the mess hall, and she walked down the line to where a trooper was getting his food, not noticing the many pairs of eyes as she surveyed the room. She picked up a bowl, and nearly chuckled when the clone behind the divide almost dropped his ladel upon noticing her.

"Hello. I'll just have whatever you're serving, please." She requested, and he nodded with a start before shaking his head with a small smile.

"Of course. I'm sorry." He said, apologizing and she waved her hand as the food was deposited in her bowl. It was warm, and to her that was the most important thing right now. She also reached for a spoon and a mug of warm caf and nodded her head in farewell.

"Don't apologize. Thank you for this." With that, she walked over to an unoccupied table, and devoured the morning's breakfast. It seemed to be some sort of dumplings with meat, and it was gone much faster than she'd wanted, as well as her caf. When she checked her chrono, she stood quickly, once again ignoring the gaze of most of the mess hall as she did so. She had managed to remember how to get here from her room, so she knew she'd be fine to get to the training hall, but she was going to have to hurry. It wouldn't look good for her to be late on her first day.

She entered what she hoped was the correct gym, and it was nothing short of enormous, which was no surprise, as it had to outfit segments of an entire army. She quickly learned through listening that this was one of the many gyms scattered across the base, and she shook her head a little in disbelief at she took in the sheer scope of the job she had undertaken. She swallowed with nervousness as she hoped she hadn't bitten off more than she could chew.

She scanned the crowd of soldiers, all with the same face, but varying hairstyles until she found it. A blonde head with shaved hair, standing in front of a larger group of clones. That was the man she was looking for.

She walked over, and Rex turned as her movement caught his eye. He was wearing fatigue bottoms that were grey and fairly fitted along with a black tank top that exposed his tanned arms, an outfit almost identical to hers, she thought with amusement.  
She gave him a nod. "Captain." She said respectfully and he nodded his head in return, with a smile.  
"Ah, Kai." He replied. "I hope you slept well last night." His amber eyes searched hers, and she nodded gratefully.

"I did. And now I believe I'm up at this far too early hour to help with training? How can I do that?" She asked, and he chuckled, along with the clones that were in her hearing, and he nodded.

"We were going to run them through a series of hand to hand combat sets. Does that sound ok to you?" He asked, and she nodded, while walking over to a small weight machine to the side of the mats. She unzipped her jacket, and threw it on the bench, and walked over, rotating her wrists and stretching her arms. "Sounds wonderful, captain."  
He seemed to nod in satisfaction and glanced away, his lips pressed together, in what she assumed was thought. He then turned and barked off commands to his men, and they snapped out their evesdropping and split into pairs, the company completely filling the mat. Several of them were obviously very close to their brothers, as jabs and bets were placed between them. They stretched, and bounced on their toes, and seemed excited for the exercise.  
Kai leaned over to Rex, when she reached his side. "You mind if I observe for a little bit? I want to see what I'm working with." When Rex nodded his approval, she waited until he gave the command to start with a a specific set, and then she walked around the mats, her gaze landing on different pairs.

She saw a clone with an intricately shaved head fighting with another clone who had the republic cog on his, and they sparred with relative ease. She worried her lip as she watched them, deep in thought. The one with the hairstyle was very quick with his arms, and often caught the other unaware, whereas his opponent seemed to favor kicks. He seemed fine with his right leg, with the proper angle and power, but his left lacked the proper speed to do any real damage, and she was afraid that he would end up unbalanced. That would require correction later, and she made a mental note.

She moved onto other similar sets, where one clone would be weaker on one side than the other, or be missing the speed in order to properly execute the move.  
She remembered hours and hours of training similar moves under Ozan's critical eye, repeating them over and over until he was satisfied. More often than not, she lost count of how many times a move had to be repeated until she got the nod. He seemed absolutely determined to sear her fighting knowledge into muscle memory.

She came to pair that was extremely well matched and she folded her arms to watch them. They had identical hairstyles, yet one had a goatee, and the number 5 oddly enough, tattoeed into his forehead. The other clone had the typical regulation haircut and no visible tattoos. They seemed very close, and the match was even as far as she could see. They fought with equal power and speed, yet the only thing she could see to critique is that they seemed to be sparring for fun, not for training purposes. Their hits didn't have any true force behind it, and they were smiling and comfortable.

Rex called for a stop and turned to her. "Any thoughts?" he asked, and she nodded with a small smile before turning her gaze to the company.  
"Yes, actually I do have some things I noticed." She walked over to the first set. "Names please?" She asked, and the one with the cog on his head gave her a large smile.  
"Jesse ma'am, and this is Kix, one of our medics." Kix smiled at her, and she noticed that his eyes were a deeper brown than his fellow soldiers.

She stood in front of them, and nodded. "Would you please run through that set again?" She asked, and Kix nodded before turning to Jesse.  
They began and as they fought Kai turned back to face the clones that had gathered.  
"They have excellent form, especially Kix, when it comes to his arms. He's quick and I saw him catch Jesse unwaware multiple times." She knew by the smirks and chuckles that there were many inside jokes in this group. She shook her head and moved on. She waited until Jesse began kicking to point the next point out.

"Next. Jesse has exceptional power with his right leg, but lacks in in his left." Once she was sure that the squad saw what she talked about, she asked Kix to move with a hand placed on his shoulder and slid into his place.

She moved in front of Jesse and motioned for him to begin again and when he came at her with his left leg, she caught it, and shifted her weight so that she could hold it in front of her.

Several of the clones laughed, including Jesse, for which she was glad. She didn't want him embarrassed or upset by her correction, but she knew something you needed to see something from a different perspective to correct it.

"Alright. This here." As she grasped his ankle, she shook it the tiniest bit. "He hasn't changed his balance by much," a nod from his confirmed this, and so she took the chance to grasp his ankle, and then gave a simple push. He fell the ground with a groan and stared up at her. She smiled and extended her hand which he gratefully accepted.

She continued through the rest of the pairs, correcting an over eager swing here, and a short follow through there, until she came to the very last pair, who she found out were named Fives and Echo. Fives looked over at her with a smile, and Echo gave her a respectful nod.

She sat down on a set of crates holding training equipment and leaned on her arms. "They fought very well, I have to admit. It was actually very hard to find something to correct." Fives cast an excited look in Echo's direction and she lifted a finger to stop him.  
"But," She emphasized, "the problem with these two is that they fought like it was a game."  
Echo's face fell, and Fives raised an eyebrow, to which she shrugged. She saw Rex looking at her with a peculiar look on his face, almost like he couldn't decide whether to be impressed or offended.

She got up and faced the company, firm on her feet, and her arms crossed in front of her. "Now, I'm not sure how you all get corrected on fighting, or how you like to learn, so I'm just going to remind you this in the way I know how. As you all know, I am a bounty hunger, and I have been since I was 9. I was raised by a man named Ozan, who taught me that every time you train, and every time you spar, you act like it's the real thing. We would fight with blunted weapons, and with our blasters on stun, and believe me when I say this. A blunted knife hurts almost as bad as a normal one, if not worse, because instead of a clean cut, it leaves a bruise."  
She took a deep breath, and looked them all in the eye, one at a time.

"I don't know much about you, and you don't know much about me, but I know you feel part of a family. You see the rest of your company as your brothers. But if you truly care about them, you have to train hard and you have to train real." She shrugged again.  
"I'm not sure how else to say it. Does that make sense? I want you to train like you mean it. Don't just spar and be comfortable where you are. Now, do you guys have any questions?" She asked, and one trooper raised his hand. If Kai remembered correctly, his name was Coric and he was one of the other medics for the company.

She nodded her head to let him talk, and he shifted on his feet. "Usually bounty hunters train us when we're cadets, so why are you coming in now? I don't mean any disrespect, but I just wonder why." His amber eyes stared at her with honestly and she could see there was truly no disrespect in his question.

She waved her hand in response and took out her ponytail and ran her hands through her hair, working on fixing it. "What the Jedi told me was that they needed someone for different jobs that isn't inherently connected to the GAR. I can sometimes get into places you can't, and despite how much the Jedi may know about the criminal underground, they don't know everything.." She shrugged. "So here I am."

Coric seemed to accept what she said, and she turned her gaze to the rest of them. Rex seemed content to let them take a short break, as many of them caught their breath. He walked over to another captain or commander most likely, based on the casual air of the conversation and she turned her attention back to the crowd.  
"Why did you become a bounty hunter?" Jesse asked, and she ignored the lance of pain that ran though her chest, but she forced herself to hide it and smiled instead.

"It's just kind of where life took me. It was the best option I had at the time." She said and another hand came up, to which she pointed at.

"How many bounties have you taken?" A trooper asked, and he had two stripes shaved into his head. She laughed and shook her head.  
"Sorry trooper. A hunter never tells." When the laughter that erupted faded, and the trooper was able to look at her again, she chuckled as well. "Maybe I'll tell you some of the stories, maybe I won't." She then winked at him and held in a smile at the small blush that covered his face. She then became somewhat serious. "To be honest, I'm actually not sure because I've been doing so long. That's the other thing."  
They seemed satisfied with her answers, and the rest of the company seemed to reign in the their laughter and they were able to focus on training again.

The rest of the day passed that way, with training, and her learning equiptment and even extra training forms that she had never seen. She quickly learned that their template had been Mandalorian and because of that, they knew almost the entire language and had the perks of Mandalorian training. She was able to practice all the different styles, and was able to learn from many different platoons, something she considered to be an amazing privilege. One didn't learn from Mandalorians every day.

The day ended when she somehow was sitting at a table full of the 501st. She wasn't quite sure they were that much different than those cadets they said they used to be, based on what she saw.

She saw wide amber eyes, and large smiles, as she did her best to answer each and every one of them. They asked her what planets she'd been to, what foods she'd eaten, what weapons she'd used. She in turn asked them what it was like to be a soldier and had many different versions. All in all, when she walked into her room that night and crawled into bed, she felt like she was at least not alone anymore in the base. She had friends in the 501st and she was oddly happy to know that.

As she rolled over onto her side, she closed her eyes and sighed deeply. She had no idea what else the Jedi expected of her, but that would have to wait until tomorrow. Right now she was exhausted.

QUESTION TIME!

1\. How do they deal/react to pain?  
If it's really serious, Kai's pretty quiet. But however, if it's minor, she can complain a lot more. She's generally grumpy if the pain is lasting for a long time. And Ozan is really quiet. He never really shares the fact he's in pain anyway, so it works well for him. 

2\. Would they rather have a picnic in the woods, or a picnic on the beach?  
Kai loves both. She's used to the forest and trees but the beach is new, and she loves the waves. Ozan loves the ocean more though. It's a quiet and peaceful place, and he could sit in the sand and stare at the waves for hours.

3\. What do they do to relax?  
Kai loves to listen to music and draw or clean. Or she'll go on a walk and watch the city. She loves people watching, something that's a product of her work. People are just so interesting. Ozan as previously stated, likes to draw. He finds it relaxing. That and polishing and cleaning his weapons and ship. 

4\. What is something that never fails to make them excited?  
Kai loves food and very small animals. She loves both of them very much, so if she knows they are somewhere she's going to be, she gets very excited! Ozan never thought he'd be excited by much, but he actually gets very excited for other planets that have authentic Zeltron food. 


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: (Hello everyone! Here's another set of questions to appease y'all. Started a new job last week, so I didn't get anything written, but I'm hoping to get something started this week. In the meantime, here you are!)

(Also, I wanted to introduce an OC of mine, a clone named Keen, from the 501st. I don't know that he'll be in the story a whole lot, but I love him, so I thought I'd add him into the questions.)

When they tap their fingers, do they use the pads of their fingers or their nails?

A: Well, it's pretty much a given with Ozan that he uses the pads of his fingers. He keeps his nails short and out of the way. And Kai uses her nails, and she's always tapping her fingers when she's stressed or bored. And just like Ozan, Keen keeps his nails nice and short so they don't rub on his gloves, but he will tap his fingers when he's had too much caf.

What textures can they absolutely not stand?

A: Kai hates the texture of two surfaces (in our universe, Styrofoam and cardboard) rubbing together. It gives her a major case of the goosebumps. Keen hates the feeling of dry hands in his gloves, so he constantly is moisturizing his hands with the lotion the medics use. Do they stop him? No. But do they tease him? Absolutely. And Ozan hates the general feeling of silk. (basically silk)

How long can they go without showering before they feel gross?

A: Keen would prefer to shower every other day, but he is obviously able to go as long as he needs. Ozan is the same way, but Kai definitely likes to shower every day, not necessarily because of cleanliness, but she absolutely loves showers.

Do they leave clothes on the floor or a chair?

A: Due to rigorous training, and the vast quantities of brothers, Keen folds his things and stores them right by his bed. Ozan tends to throw things on the floor, and Kai has always put things on the chair in her room.

Do they sleep with the bedroom door open or closed?

A: Keen sleeps in a room full of other brothers, and that helps him feel safe, so he doesn't care whether the door is open or not. Kai wants her door closed, and Ozan is the exact same, because it makes them both feel secure.

Which do they prefer: 3 am or 3 pm?

A: Ozan and Keen both prefer 3 am, either because they either haven't fallen asleep, or they've had to wake up early. They like being up when no one else is. But Kai prefers 3 pm because sometimes staying up into the am is hard for her, and she hates waking up that early.

If they suddenly woke up with animal ears and tails what animal would they be?

A: Ozan would be genuinely concerned at waking up with ears and a tail but he would be a sort of wolf hybrid, and perhaps it's due to her being raised for the rest of her childhood and all of her adolescence, but kai would have the same thing. And this may be stretching the boundaries of this question, but I honestly feel like Keen would wake up with wings and feathers. He would be the cockatiel with the little rosy cheeks.

If they could only eat one thing for 20 days straight what would it be?

A: Ozan would be fine with anything meat for that long, and Kai would be fine with the same fruit for 20 days in a row. And in all honesty, Keen's been eating the same thing for a long time, so he wouldn't mind whatever he had.

Are they the type to re-read a book?

A: This is an easy one. All of them would. Keen always finds something to read on his days off, and Ozan and Kai have both collected a few books for themselves that they keep with them wherever they go.

Would they want to know the exact time and date of their death?

A: Ozan wouldn't, because he wants to live his life the fullest, and Kai feels like she would, but if it really came down to it, she feels the same way. But Keen…he's an interesting case. As a soldier for the GAR, he's in countless battles, and it's kind of hard for him to not know when he is going to have his last battle. But at the same time, he doesn't want to have the day and time of his death hanging over his head.

What is their favorite mythological creature?

A: This is a hard question, because most mythological creatures I know (as the author) exist in planet earth. So honestly, that's what I'm going with. So, if Keen, Ozan and Kai all stepped onto the planet earth and read books on different creatures here's what they would love. Kai would absolutely love everything with wings like a griffin, but even more so, dragons. Ozan would be actually very interested in the Kraken. And Keen loves the idea of mermaids, sirens and centaurs.

Do they believe in an afterlife?

A: Ozan and Kai would both like to believe there's something out there, and Keen's not sure but wants to believe. So yes, I guess that all three of them do. My bad grammar skills just decided to split it up weird.

When they get tired to their eyelids twitch?

A: Kai's eyelids twitch when she gets really tired, but the other two never have that issue, which makes Kai's jealous.

What are their favorite textures?

A: This is another easy one. Kai, Ozan and Keen all love really soft blankets materials. You know the type that some people have on their beds or on the couch, that feel absolutely amazing.

Do they crack their joints?  
A: Ozan doesn't because his joints are getting too stiff, which he will never admit to anyone. But Keen and Kai both do, and Kai does it almost habitually, when she's thinking or reading.

Would they eat/drink something too hot or wait for it to cool?

A: Keen definitely doesn't wait for things to cool, because half of the time he's too hungry or thirsty and the other half it's because he's in a hurry. Kai waits for her food to cool, but has a really hard time waiting for drinks to cool. Ozan is extremely, and sometimes frustratingly patient, so he can easily wait for both to cool.

Are they the type to adopt strays? (Animals or people)

A: Well, we all know how Kai and Ozan came to know each other, so yes, I'd say that Ozan is definitely the type that takes in strays. And Kai has a soft spot for animals, so she'd definitely take in a stray at some point. And Keen in theory would like to, but he doesn't really have the time or means to take care of an animal stray. But some new brothers are like strays to him in a way, so he tries to take them under his wing.

Do they get work done straight away, or wait until the last moment?

A: Keen gets things done right away, which is completely due to his training. Kai is good at doing jobs right away, but any sort of chore she generally is really bad at doing immediately. Ozan doesn't necessarily procrastinate, but he does do things at his own pace. That being said, he keeps up very well with the pace of his jobs, and ship/weapon repair.

How do they bathe/shower? Long or short? Hot or cold?

A: As stated before, Kai loves showers, so she likes them long, and she likes it hot at the very beginning, and then cools it off a little at the end. And Keen likes his long and hot, to wipe off the grime and dust of missions. Ozan looks at showering as just another thing to do, so they're typically lukewarm and short.

Are they the type to daydream?

A: Ozan does daydream surprisingly, when he's not piloting a ship or doing his job. Keen doesn't necessarily unless he's really bored because he's always doing something. Eating in the mess, on a mission, in a brief, playing a game with his brothers, watching holotv.

Do they work best in a messy space or a neat space?

A: Keen and Ozan both like a neat space, and Kai likes a mix. She tends to let things get messy but then likes to clean up and get everything organized again.

Do they indulge in anything?

A: Kai loves binge watching holotv, and Ozan loves to settle in for a good long card game when he has the times. And Keen loves to indulge in food. As a soldier, he's constantly having food that's efficient and quick, so if he's every allowed, (which, just imagine with me, he is allowed) he loves a good meal.

Would they do the exact opposite of what someone says just to spite them?

A: Keen would absolutely with his brothers, but if it's the orders from a CO, or a medic, then he won't. Ozan's not that petty so he wouldn't, but you better believe that Kai is absolutely that petty.

If they're alone and hear a nose would they go and investigate?

A: Maybe it's just the result of the job, but Kai and Ozan would both go look and see what made the noise. But Keen wants his brothers to have his back so he'd just as soon wait.

If they're lost what's the first thing they would do?

A: Ozan and Kai would both try to get to the highest ground, and call their ships. It might be hard to be "lost" in the SW universe, with ships and such, come to think of it. And Keen, if he somehow ended up lost and alone, he'd try and contact his brothers.

What is the stupidest thing they've ever done just because someone said they couldn't?

A: Keen has tried a training course on Kamino (you know, the ones shown SW: TCW Ep1 S3 "Clone Cadets") by himself. Being shot isn't the most comfortable thing, and he got shipped out almost immediately to the front. Not a good idea to go fresh onto the battlefield sore from training like that. You need every advantage you can to stay alive. Other than that, he's really not that adventurous. Kai tried to take down a group of Trandoshans without backup using hand to hand combat, and learned some things quickly that day, including how to stay alive. Ozan has honestly never been that way though. He's always had a solid head on his shoulders, even when he was a young kid.

Are they stoic or melodramatic about being in pain?

A: Oh dear, if it's not super serious, Kai is _so _dramatic. And Keen is a little bit too, but just a touch less. And Ozan would just as soon act like he wasn't hurt at all, but Kai has learned all of his tells.

(Hope it's not bad luck to end on an odd number…I hope you enjoyed. And my sincere hope is that my job didn't mess with my ability to English too much! Please make sure to check back. I may be slow at writing currently, but I'm steady, and hopefully as my schedule and job even out, I'll be able to write more. Thanks for being patient, readers! You are the best and I am so grateful for the comments and views!)


	8. Chapter 8

_9 years later (Kai – age: 20)_

Kai raised a doubtful eyebrow at Ozan as she sat at the controls, tapping her foot in thought. Her fingers moved across a few buttons automatically, knowing which ones to press and which to not. The ring she wore on her right hand glittered in the various lights of the cockpit.  
"How do we know this is a good contact, and that this time we'll _actually_ get the supplies we need? We don't want what happened on the Rishi moon to happen to us again." 

The incident she was referring to had happened when they had stopped for a meetup with another group nearly two weeks ago and had come close to losing their ship and ammunition in the ambush and firefight that followed. Only Ozan and her own skill with a blaster, and their better cover had helped keep them alive, but their ship still bore some residual marks that needed fixing. Ozan grunted from his chair, and shook his head from where he sat.

"Sometimes I wonder if I did the right thing by teaching you to be open and honest." He growled, giving her an irritated but teasing shake of his head. "Now I have to deal with you speaking your mind all the time."

Kai rolled her eyes, and began the descent. For the last couple years, if the mission was considered safe enough, he trusted her to fly them in and out, so she could get used the ship, he said.

"We've been a family for almost a decade. Of course I'm going to speak my mind." She shot back, and he chuckled, as he checked his blasters, and with a pleading look from her, the other weapons they'd use as well, including her own personal blaster. She guided them through the atmosphere, only having to fight the wind a couple different times. All in all, it was a far better landing that she had expected from a planet that had almost no landscape to slow the winds.

They landed safely on the dusty, arid surface of Florrum, and Kai reached above her left shoulder to turn off both of the engines, and lock the landing gear in place. She stood up and shifted so that she could zip up her jacket comfortably, and took her small hand blaster and long knife from Ozan. They walked silently to the storage bay, and he pressed the lever to lower the ramp. When it hit the ground, Kai was immediately greeted with air dry enough to chap her lips and she squinted against wind. It was filled with enough sand to sting her skin, and it occurred to her that was why Ozan had brought his scarf with him. It was already wrapped around his head, and pulled across his face, and she nodded once to herself before simply pulling her scarf up over her mouth and nose. She should have grabbed goggles too but it was too late for that now.  
There was a ship right next to theirs that looked to be in equally rough shape, but the owner had already left, sealing the entire place up tight. They started walking to the entrance of the building, and she didn't see a rock so when she hit it with the toe of her boot, she nearly stumbled. Ozan discreetly grabbed her arm, before pulling her upright and muttering a calm but firm "..steady" to her as she kept walking.

She was glad the scarf was there to cover her face, because she was sure someone across the square could have seen her completely flushed cheeks. They reached the doors, and two of the guards stopped her, tall lanky Weequay that stared at her and Ozan with equal amounts of suspicion.

After a short conversation with Ozan, and the bribery of credits that Kai was sure they couldn't afford to give, they were inside. She pulled the scarf off her nose, and breathed in air that was finally not filled with sand. Ozan kept the scarf around his head, but pulled the piece away from his mouth as they walked. She could hear the sound of music playing, and Ozan leaned his head minutely closer to her.  
"Stay close to me, and do not drink anything anyone gives you. Watch the bartender make it. Understand? And don't get trigger happy, or we'll end up dead before we draw." He warned, his voice lower than normal. At her surprised face, he grimaced. "This lot tends to be more ready for a fight than not." Right before they crossed the threshold he looked at her and nodded, to which she nodded back, knowing that she had a responsibility while she was here. The same one she'd had for years. Protect his back, and he'd protect hers.

The music was much louder than she had originally guessed, so when they stepped in, she had to turn away from the speakers to adjust. Ozan knew exactly who he was going for, a tall Weequay in a long red coat, the infamous Hondo Onaka. She just tilted her head towards the bar and he gave her a nod, before parting the crowd in front of him as he made his way to the man. She ordered a simple drink, and leaned against the counter as she waited, and when she looked to her left, she was met with dark brown eyes. They stared at her from below a pair of goggles, and they shot her a flirtatious wink.

_They _belonged to a young Twilek, with dark green skin, and he was dressed in a light cream shirt, and a brown jacket thrown over the top. His boots came up to his calves, over pants made from a coarse material. A long scar ran down the length of his lekku, which were currently over his shoulders, the ends twitching occasionally. He walked over closer as she got her drink, and she stared back at him over the top of her glass. He set his own empty glass down and gave a nod to the bartender, and once his glass was reflilled he tilted it her way.

"Hello." He said simply, his accent thick and noticeable, and she raised an eyebrow back.

"Hi." She responded, hesistantly. "Can I help you?" She asked, and he smiled even bigger, his eyes flashing with his smile.

"No. I was just wondering what a beautiful woman like yourself was doing here of all places." He said, and his face lit up slightly at her laugh that followed. It didn't escape her notice that his head seemed on a very subtle swivel as he watched the crowd.

However, she just chuckled as she took another drink, and shook her head, her ponytail swaying with the motion.  
"That line work with the other girls you use it on?" She asked, and he shrugged, emptying his glass, and turning to her fully.

"It usually does, yes. But I take it, you're not like most girls." He quipped, and she raised her own glass in acknowledgement before emptying it. She was jostled as some people walked by, and after she gave a quick glare, she turned back to him. He seemed to watch them closely as well.

"You're right there." She said, and look at him once her glass was taken away. "You looking for someone in particular?"

He smirked with a wink, before leaning forward to rest his chin on his hand.

"Oh it's nothing. It's just some of the people don't like me very much at the moment. That tends to happen a lot." He explained and she gave him a long look before letting her gaze drift over to Ozan.

He and Hondo seemed to be swapping drinks, and haggling something fierce, because she could see Ozan leaning forward with his hands on his knees, his head cocked to the side, his tell. She watched closely to make sure that nothing was amiss, and there seemed to be no blasters drawn, or in danger of being drawn, so she figured he was ok.

The man followed her gaze, and when she looked back, he seemed to give her an apprasing look. "You're with him?" He asked, and when she nodded, he gave a look of approval. "Ozan..he's a tough one. Not many left in the galaxy like him. Bounty hunters are just in it for the money now."  
Kai ordered a small plate of crackers and fruit and pushed the plate over his direction. "And you're not, I'm guessing?" She asked, and when he accepted some of the food, he shook his head.

"I'm not. There used to be hunters that did their job for the safety of a better galaxy, but with better creds." He explained, and Kai found that she quite liked the melodious accent he spoke with. "I need the money, but I don't like people being taken advantage of. So" he spread his hands. "Here I am. What about you? Did he rub off on you, or…"

Kai shook her head. "You're really nosy, you know that?" she asked, and when he gave her another one of those smiles, she huffed. "I've been with him since I was 11 years old. So yeah, I'd say that he rubbed off on me." She explained, and he was about to say something about having a drink again sometime, when a raised voice greeted her ears.

"So ungrateful. I give you all that you ask for and you still expect a fair price." Hondo complained, and looked over at Ozan like he had offended everything he held dear in this world, which come to think of it, might not be much. Ozan stared back at him with a level gaze.

"I'm not looked to be ripped off by you this afternoon, Onaka. I'll be giving you the payment," he slid over some credits, "and I'll be taking my supplies. Let's not mess up the business arrangement we have, alright? We get along well enough as it is, and you have plenty of other people to swindle besides me."

Hondo laughed, throwing his head back, and clapped Ozan on the shoulder, who remained as stonefacecd as always. "How right you are my friend. How I have missed your sombor self. You could use some good drink." He gestured to the bar, and Ozan shook his head, while walking over to a pre-set crate of supplies, that she knew held food and ammunitions.

"You know I never drink on the job." He shot back, and Hondo shook his head sadly.  
"You need to live one day, my friend. Do something that puts a smile on that drab, lonely face of yours." He told him and Ozan gave him a nod, while pressing his lips together in a way she knew meant he was losing patience.  
"I'll be sure to keep that in mind." He searched the crowd, and when he saw her eyes, he jerked his head towards the door. Kai nodded, and stood up, shifting her gun holster so that it laid more comfortably.

"I'm going to have to take you up on that drink offer some other time…" She looked at him through narrowed eyes, and he stuck out his hand for her to shake.  
"Rayfe. Rayfe Lorshoc. Pleased to meet you." He went to shake her hand, but then surprised her and kissed the back of her hand lightly and gave her a wink as he straightened.

Kai snorted as she took back her hand, and shook her head. "Same to you, Rayfe. Name's Kai. Kai Finall. But you'll have to excuse me, because I have to go before we don't get off of this rock with all our goods. It was…good to meet you." She said, tucking her hands into her pockets, before offering him him a shy smile which he returned enthusiastically.

She turned on her heel and walked across the floor, weaving around people until she made it to Ozan's side, who was currently pushing the crate full of supplies.

She walked next to him, and kept a hand near her blaster. "You think we'll make it out of here ok? He seemed pretty set on getting more than we gave him, even though that is literally what everything cost."  
Ozan's eyes shifted around, glancing at doorways and other challenging eyes before they flicked over to her direction. "Hush now. We will talk when we get on the ship. We need to unload everything, return the carrier, and then we are gone. Understood?" He instructed, and she nodded, while keeping her eyes roving as well.

They made it about halfway when the sounds of a firefight and shouting reached them. Ozan looked at her, the doorway they had just exited and their ship in one solid sweep.

He pushed the crate towards her and made her take it when he let go. He pulled out his gun and put his back to her.

"Take that to the ship. Now. Quickly." He told her and they jogged over to the ship. After she had it unloaded, they made the decision not to take the lift back, opting to set it to the side. As the finished up carrying everything in, she saw three groups of people run for different ships. It seemed a massive firefight had broken out, and anyone not native to this dust rock were getting out in order to save their own skin. The fighting was still intense over at the entrance.  
The first group of people made it to their ship, as well as the second, when Kai gasped. She recognized the person running in the third direction, her left. It was Rayfe. He ran as fast as he could, and it seemed like half of the compound was running after him. He jumped over a crate and when he landed, a blaster bolt caught him in the shoulder, and another caught him on the chest.

Rayfe hit the ground with a groan and rolled onto his stomach, writhing in pain his run for safety halted.

"We have to help him, Ozan!" Kai yelled and he looked over at her, his golden eyes wide as he took in her expression and Rayfe's fallen form.

"Now is not the time for heroics Kai. Get those crates in and close the door. We're leaving." His voice was deep and rough and he glared at her as she looked back and forth.

She then shook her head and ran over. As her footsteps fell, she argued with herself. What was she doing? If she did this, she was risking her life for a man she met only an hour prior. But if she didn't do this, she was leaving a man to die, and Ozan had always taught her to not be heartless.

She ran up to him and crouched, slinging his arm over her shoulder, but Rayfe was solidly built and her legs shook under the weight. "Come on, you stupid man. Stop being so heavy." She grunted out as she tried to straighten her legs and run. Suddenly the weight lifted, and Ozan slung Rayfe's body over his shoulder and stood with a groan, throwing his gun to her. "Cover me." He said and they ran for the door of the ship.

The group of people that had been chasing Rayfe was approaching closer and the blasters were starting to hit nearby, but Kai and Ozan had finally got the door closed and secured, the blaster shots ringing on the outside shell.

Ozan immediately ran for the pilots seat and as they lifted off she looked at the now unconscious Rayfe on their floor. His brows were furrowed in pain and she placed a hand on his chest to soothe him.

What had she done? She had thought bringing him on board was a good idea, but now she was truly not sure. What risks has she uncovered that would have remained out of the range of possibility had she left him there.

All she knew was as Rayfe struggled to regain consciousness, she would give him a chance.

Author's Note: Most Twileks outside of Ryloth speak Basic, but some still carry an accent that sounds similar to what we know as a French accent.


	9. Chapter 9

Authors Note: Hello lovelies! This would have come out a lot sooner, but babysitting nephews combined with the stomach flu yesterday delayed it. Y'all are wonderful and I appreciate the views and support!

_(Current day) _

Kai was independent as much as anyone else, but surprisingly soon after she had arrived at the base, she felt like she had a safety net, a group of people she could depend on. The clones were always kind to her, and never let her down when she needed a sparring partner. As she worked with the 501st, and occasionally General Windu and Obi-Wans platoons, she was able to hone her fighting skills as much as the men were.

After a good hard afternoon of training, she showered and dressed in a pair of faded pants and a black shirt. She pulled on a sweatshirt and wandered out to her ship, figuring that she might as well start repairing all the damage she had. Ozan would have so many things to say to her if he saw the state of his ship.

"_You take care of my ship while I'm in, ok?" Ozan said gently, holding her shoulder as she worked in vain to keep the tears off her face. "Trust me, I'll be fine. I need a break anyway. I'm getting tired. I could use the rest." _

_They both tried their hardest to ignore the sounds of sirens heralding the approach of the authorities. If Ozan was caught, here on Corescant, lower levels, he'd be put straight into prison, but he was ok with that. _

"_But I need you. I'm not ready to do this on my own." She cried, and he pulled her close, and spoke into her ears.  
"Use your pain to fuel your ambition, my dear. Survive. I don't want you to get caught." He kissed her forehead, and gently shoved her towards the speeder parked. "Now go." He said gruffly and she stumbled away and got on, shooting him one last look. _

_Take care of my ship. I'll be fine. _

_The words echoed through her head as the whine of the engine became all she could hear. _

Kai didn't realize she had stopped walking until she heard a "pardon me" of engineers passing by her into the hanger bay. She shook her head, and muttered a quick apology before continuing to walk towards her ship. After rummaging in her cargo bay, she pulled out all the necessary tools for the repairs, and after shedding her jacket she settled into work.

The whine of the tools, and feel of the ship under hands soothed her and she kept working until she felt the familiar rumble in her stomach, and she checked her chrono. She had been in here almost four hours, and she smiled with contentment at herself.

She hopped down and grabbed her jacket, knowing the mess hall would be cold, as usual. She walked down the familiar halls, giving smiles to everyone she saw and brief conversations to the ones she had trained with.

She got her food after talking with the clone at the window for a moment, and looked around. Where should she sit, she mused, and then she saw him. A clone, hunched over his food, not eating and not looking at anyone around him.

She walked over and set her tray down. "Mind if I sit here?" She asked, and when he just grunted, she hoped he meant yes, and sat.

She looked over at him as she ate, and noticed that he looked particularly sad, and distant. She decided to try different approaches, hoping one of them let her talk to him.

"You know you have to eat the food to get the benefit, right?" She asked, and he looked up at her and glared, his amber eyes hard.

She almost congratulated herself and stopped. She didn't think she'd get that strong of a reaction the first try.

"Why don't you just leave if you're going to try to talk? I'm not interested." he growled, and she immediately looked into his eyes, holding him there.  
Yes, something was wrong. She spent entire days interacting with different clones, so she had come to know the different looks in their eyes, and this soldier, he was struggling deeply.  
Kai tilted her head. "Yeah, probably not going to happen. What's your name?" She asked, and he looked away. When he looked back, she was still staring at him and he grimaced. "If I tell you, will you leave?" He asked, and she shrugged.  
"I don't know, maybe. Probably not though, if I'm going to be honest." She admitted, and she saw his scowl lessen a little, causing her to smile a little.

"Rev." He said quietly and she smiled at him.

"Good to meet you. I'm Kai. So, what's up?" She asked, and he rolled his eyes at her.

"You're not going to give up until I talk to you…" He stated and she nodded, taking a bit of food and washing it down with her caff.  
"No, I'm not. So, we can sit here in companionable silence if you'd like, which is fine by me, or you can talk to me. I'm completely unbiased, and a good person you can talk to about whatever you're struggling with. So." She gestured to him and waited.  
He pushed the food around his tray and she took the time to observe him. He wore his hair shaved close to his head, and I looked like he had a series of interlocking lines tattooed on his neck that went down into his body suit and most likely she guessed, spanned his back. Most clones loved giving themselves distinctive tattoos when they had the chance. He looked tired, and looked to be in need of a shave. She then gave him a moment and looked down at her food, taking a few more bites.  
"It's just hard to feel important." He said quietly and Kai immediately looked back at him, to find him staring at her with conflicted eyes. "It's hard to go into battle after battle, and see your brothers die, some of them fresh out of Kamino. It makes me wonder why I'm always the one that's left, and I just…" he sighed in frustration and shrugged as he frowned. "I just don't feel like I matter. Like..any of us matter. But I wouldn't expect you to understand. You're a civvie." He said, with no real heat behind his voice, just fatigue.

Kai took another bite, and swallowed. "Well, I may not understand what it's like to be a clone, to have an army full of family, of brothers like you do but I know what it's like to not feel important. The galaxy is huge," she gestured. "And I'm just this one, small person."  
Rev nodded as he listened to her, and he took a bite of his food, the first in over twenty minutes. "You think anyone cares that we're here?" he asked, and Kai shrugged.

"I don't know. I'm not sure everyone in the galaxy cares if Kai Findell, bounty hunter and clone trainer" She teased, and she saw the corner of his mouth lift up in a smile. 'That's better. Keep smiling', she thought. "exists, but I know there are a few people that did, and still do. I know Rayfe, the man I used to be with, cared about me. I know Ozan, my adopted father cares. My mother cared. And it's the same with your brothers." He seemed to be thinking as she kept talking so she did just that.  
"Your brothers care that you're alive. And if you feel that it's unfair all the times that you survive, take what you learn with all those battles, and teach it to the ones that arrive. Help them so that they can at least live some of their life they were meant to live. Help them survive so they can go to 79ers with their squad, and experience things. Help them survive so they can feel joy and every other emotion we're meant to have." She put a hand on his and his hand instinctively moved to hold hers. At that moment, it was just the two of them.  
"Maybe that's why you're still here, Rev. Because you are important. To them. And hey," She "You have a friend right here that cares if you exist." She pointed to herself. "With Ozan gone for the time being, I need somewhere to belong. And I'm hoping it's here," She looked up and gestured to the room, to the whole base. "with all of you. Ok?"

Rev nodded and removed his hand and grabbed his drink to place it on his tray. "Alright." He seemed embarrassed but happy she had talked to him. "Thanks for the pep talk. You're not so bad you know that?" He told her and she smiled wide.  
"Hey, thanks." She teased back and got up. They walked over and put the trays back to be washed, and when they parted ways, she smiled and walked down the hall feeling as though she had at least a little purpose.  
When her comm beeped, she looked down and her eyebrows furrowed. It was an urgent message to meet Rex and he gave her the designated room. It looked like it was a command center, and it was on her way, so she reached the room he was in a quick amount of time. She knocked, and pressed the button to open the door and it opened with a hiss.  
"So, what's the trouble?" She asked, and he looked at her briefly before he spoke.

"A bounty hunter got into the temple and stole a Jedi holocron and General Skywalker is going after them. So that means that were going with him to the Devoran system." he said succinctly and she nodded curtly.

"Ok so what does that mean for me? What do you want from me?" She asked, and Rex stepped forward.  
"We need you to come with us on this. We're headed out soon and we could use on on the mission. Does that work for you? Probably a good fight will happen."

"Hey, it's the Republic that's paying for this whole job of mine, so when they to do something, I'm there. I don't have any potential jobs on my plate at the moment, so I'm free. I'm assuming dock my ship?" She asked, and he nodded, and she thought about her weapons, but turned to them as her brain worked. "Send me what you can about the briefing. I'm assuming you're taking a gunship up? The ship ready to go?"  
"We leave the atmosphere in 10." he instructed and she immediately turned to the door. "Got it. See you in the hanger then. I'll take my ship there."

With that she took off out of the room, and jogged down to her own, the door sliding closed behind her. She went to her closet, and changed out of her training wear to something sturdier. Strong boots, and a thicker jacket. She grabbed her knife from the table and strapped it on and grabbed her comm device before jogging over to the hanger as well.

She grabbed her tablet as well, in case they were gone for longer than the couple days this mission hinted at.  
She approached her ship at a light jog, after dodging various squads on their way to different gunships. The whole organization hummed with an organized chaos and she shoved down a smile.  
"Why am I enjoying this so much?" She asked, confused at the feeling she felt. Of course, it was business and it was a job, so that was nothing, but having all the action around her, having a trooper guide her timing of taking off, and signaling where to go, made her feel part of something bigger. That was something she hadn't experienced in a long time, not since...being home in her village.

Living with Ozan was a small and simple existence, one that she loved and cherished beyond words. She loved that man, and in the corner of her mind, she decided a visit was due. She didn't care if the Jedi knew or not, but she needed to see her father. But even her life was him was small, it was nothing on this scale, and her time with Rayfe, that had been brief and bright, but they were once again, just two people in the midst of the galaxy together. Per usual, as soon as she thought about him, and his characteristic grin, and strong embrace, her eyes burned, and she wiped them quickly before giving a nod to the clone on the floor. She took off, and flew towards the cruiser in the atmosphere. She fell into formation with a group of other pilots and they waved to her through the cockpit and she shook her head and waved back with a smile. From what she could tell, those pilots were a different breed.

She landed, and engaged her locking gear and stepped out of her ship and true to her words, she saw a squadron in blue and orange move out and head towards the barracks most likely to get gear settled in. She sauntered over and leaned against the gunship.  
That was a bad idea.

She misjudged how big Rex's steps actually were, so when he turned around and took a step, not seeing her, his chest ran into hers, her head knocking against the base of his shoulder pauldron as well and she grunted before rubbing her forehead with a small grimace. It stopped as she realized she had fell off balance and Rex's arm around her waist was the only thing keeping her upright.

Why am I blushing like I did when I was still in school, when I'd see that one cute boy? Kai wondered in her mind. She quickly stood and regained her footing and offered a grateful smile to Rex. "Thank you. I tried to be smooth, but once again, I don't think that's exactly my strong point. I'm sorry about that."

Rex offered her a genuine smile, creating small wrinkles in the corners of his eyes, before bowing his head ever so slightly. "You wouldn't be the only one with that problem. It's quite alright. Now, due to the ship's capacity, for the time being, we are going to have you bunk in the same place as the rest of our squad for now. Is that alright? I can try to find you your own room as soon as possible."

Kai's heart softened a little as she saw the genuine look on his face. He genuinely wanted her comfortable and that made her feel very happy and.

"No thank you, Rex. Thank you for the offer, but I'll be alright. Don't worry. Any bed I have to sleep in is good enough for me." Kai said, and Rex shot her a grateful smile in return as they started to walk down the hall.

She shifted the straps on her back as they got to the room and Rex pressed the button, gesturing for her to go in first. It was relatively empty, with few items on bunks, which meant most of the company wasn't here yet.

"You can sleep anywhere you'd like for the time being." He said kindly and she nodded, while looking around.  
She found a nice bottom bunk near the back wall where she could see the entire room, and it made her feel sort of tucked back in a corner, and she had to admit, she liked it.

"If you'll excuse me, I have some things I need to take care of. Let." he paused, and the closest word Kai could come up with was that he _fumbled_ for the right word. "let me know if there's anything I can do for you." He said, his firm voice in direct contrast with the pause that had just occurred.

She offered him a crooked smile that had his cheeks turning an interesting shade of pink as he turned and walked out.

She placed her bag down, and flopped onto the bed, her head near the foot of the bed, and she watched as some of the new troopers came in, talking amongst themselves or throwing themselves down in similar fashion to herself, twisting to composite for the armor.

She recognized Hardcase and Jesse, very inseparable friends, and they took bunks in the middle of the room before Hardcase's gaze swept down the beds. His eyes landed on hers, and his smile seemed to double.

"Hey, I didn't know they'd have you bunking in here? Couldn't get a room by yourself?" She asked, leaning against her post, and she rolled onto her back to look at him.

"They asked me if they needed to find one, and I figured it wasn't a huge hurry. It's not the first time I've slept in a room full of people, and I'm sure it won't be the last." She said easily and he threw back his head and laughed.  
"Yeah, but we're a loud bunch let me tell you." He countered as he walked away, and she shook her head affectionately. He was certainly a loud one during training, that was to be sure.

Kai learned some things that night.

She learned that at least three separate wrestling matching occurred before all of the troopers ended up in their own bed.

At least four stories of previous missions were brought up, and a debate if one of the clones supposedly was telling the story wrong.

And then there was whispered chattering once some of their brother started to fall asleep. It was most commonly between closer brothers, and some would hang from the top bunk for a moment to talk.

And they snored, Kai thought with a smile, but she didn't mind that. "It kind of reminds me of Ozan" she thought affectionately, and when she turned over on her other side to fall asleep, she actually trusted the clones to watch her back.  
She was safe here, and for that she was very grateful.


	10. Chapter 10

(Oh, my dearies! IT HAS BEEN A WHILE. No, I am not dead, but I am finally here again, after too long. A mini hiatus you might say, due to the world right now, so thank you for being patient with me. I hope the updates are a bit more frequent again, especially since social distancing is the new norm. Please be careful all, and I hope my writing can bring you all some entertainment and some joy!)

_(Flashback) _

Kai rolled onto her back and rubbed her eyes with a groan as she drifted out of sleep and into being awake. Since the blaster fight on Florrum she felt tired and sore, which she knew was due to her attempt to drag Rayfe into their shift. Speaking of…

She turned her head and looked at her chrono, frowning as it was nearly time to get up. She sat up and slid to the end of her bed, and ran a hand through her hair, getting out a few of the tangles.

She got up and walked over to her closet, and after stripping off her shorts and tank top she slept in, she pulled on a pair of olive-green pants and a tight black shirt, and sat on her bed to slip on her socks, the boots taking a bit of effort to get on. She laid on her back and grunted as her heel slid into the last boot and she laced them up and stood. She opened her door and made her way down to the small kitchen and started to prepare breakfast for herself and Ozan. Halfway through, which she supposed was better that forgetting altogether, she remembered to prepare a plate for Rayfe as well.

She got up from the table she was at, and walked into the small room near the bay door, where some blankets had been set up. She poked her head in and nudged the lump laying on the floor with her foot, until she heard muttered curses in Ryl. A head popped out, and Rayfe stared at her with bleary and irritated eyes.

"Oi, leave me alone. I was trying to get some sleep here, before you so rudely interrupted me." He growled, his native accent thick as he glared at her from his pillow, his lekku twitching in irritation.

Kai just snickered and poked him again, a little harder." "Oh, get up. I have breakfast ready. You just got shot in the shoulder, you're fine. Come on, get up you poor wounded baby." She teased him and he rolled onto his back, the blanket slipping to expose a broad chest a slash on one pectoral.

"Fine, if it will make you leave me alone, I will." He relented and she smiled in triumph before walking out to sit on a crate and enjoy her breakfast. Ozan's was gone which meant he was up now, and piloting the ship. She looked down from eating and saw a piece flimsi, Ozan's writing clearly, and it read: Take inventory so we can stock up next stop.

Kai sighed long and loudly before washing down the rest of her food, and she set the plate in the sink. She walked over and grabbed the tablet they used for this specific job, powered it on, and set to work as her eyes perused the list.

As she checked off items, she chewed her bottom lip in thought and her foot tapped occasionally. She yelped as she felt a hand on her shoulder, and in reflex, because Ozan never grabbed her like that, she drove her elbow behind her and spun on the ball of her foot to slam her fist into…_oh no._

Directly into Rayfe's face, and he gave a yell of surprise and stumbled back as her fist hit his face with a solid crack. She was right there as soon as he stopped backing up and she held his shoulder with one hand and gently touched her hand to the one covering his face.

"Oh, _kriff." _She swore, and looked up at him. "Rayfe…. You can't do that. I forgot for a second that you were down here too, and Ozan never grabs me like that." She huffed out a nervous breath as he slowly opened his eyes, and she frowned at him and tried to pry his hand away.

"Nice karking hit." He muttered at her, slightly slurred from the blood that was dripping out and they walked over to the sink where she got a rag and handed it to him.

He tilted his head back, holding the cloth to it and was able to stop the bleeding and he wiped his face before looking down at her, his green skin turning a darker shade of green and brown as it began to bruise. She looked in their fresher and found a small ice pack and she wrapped it in a small towel before handing it to her.

Rayfe sat down on the crates once they went back in the cargo hold and she felt a surge of relief as he looked down at her, his golden eyes twinkling merrily as they peeked out from behind the towel. "I have to say, for a tiny woman like yourself, you pack one drukload of a punch." His compliment made Kai's cheeks flush and she looked away, shaking her head.

"I'm still sorry for hitting you. I didn't mean to." She tried to apologize and she flushed even deep as he winked at her.

"Oh, I don't even care if you did it on purpose, not if I can get you to jump like that again." He teased and slid closer to her and she moved away with a roll of her eyes and a hidden smile.  
"Eh, don't push your luck. It was an accident. I hit a lot harder when it's on purpose." She growled and went back to looking at her screen. She pointed over to the kitchen. "Your breakfast is over there and then we have to start doing inventory so don't take forever, alright?" She asked, and Rayfe wandered over a with a smile, prodding at his nose as he removed the ice pack.  
"Aw, darling, are you saying you're going to miss me?" He teased, and she turned her back to him and shook her head.  
"No, it's because I'm lazy and I want help with this job. I don't want to have to it all by myself." She explained and started back on the list, cursing herself for getting off track.

They were almost completely out of dry food stuff and their fruit stock was also severely lacking, which Ozan would not be happy about. He believed in a well-balanced diet. And also, to be added to the list was ship parts, because of some of the more major repairs that had occurred in the last couple weeks. They were some panels on the outside that needed replacing as well, which would take the last of their spares. She nodded with a hum as she took down this information and she saw Rayfe leaning against some crates, apparently done eating.

She held the tablet towards him slightly. "You want to do the looking or the marking?" She asked, and when he shrugged good naturedly at her, she smirked and tossed the tablet at him.

He caught it easily and flashed her a broad grin before flipping the tablet over so he could see the screen. He then, with a smug grin on his face, settled comfortably, or as comfortably as he could, on a crate and started calling out items to her.

Since she had lived the majority of her life on this ship, she was able to find the items very quickly, and in record time, the entire list was done, and she knew exactly what was on the ship, and what they needed.

Kai dusted off the knees of her pants where she had been kneeling and turned to Rayfe, gesturing up the ladder. "Well, let's go let him know. He'll be wanting to land soon, somewhere with a good market."  
He gave her a wide smile, and a slight bow. "But ladies first. I insist." He teased, with no real intention of making her go first and she folded her arms and glared at him.

"You're not using this opportunity to ogle me. Now go," She pointed at him, then up the ladder. "up."

He just snickered, and quickly walked over and scaled the ladder, the muscles in his backs and shoulders pulling him up easily. When he got to the top he turned around and offered his hand, which she gratefully took.

As soon as they entered the cockpit, she walked over to Ozan's chair and rested her arms on the back, and her chin on the top of his head. "All done."  
He chuckled at her antics, and swatted at her head with his hand, and she dodged easily with a laugh herself.  
"I don't know why you're so clingy." He teased her and she sat down at the other chair by the controls, and waved for Rayfe to join them in the seat behind them.  
"I don't know why but I'm sure whatever the reason is, it's not my fault." She teased back and then twisted in her chair so she could look at him head on.

"So, if inventory is done, where are we headed? A job? A market, or both?" She asked, and Ozan shook his head affectionately.

"To answer your many questions, we don't have a job right now, which is why we are taking advantage of this time to get supplies." He explained, and Kai cheered as he set coordinates. She strapped in and smiled excitedly smiled at Rayfe as Ozan entered lightspeed. It had been long enough inside this ship. She needed to get out.

They landed, and Kai jogged down the ramp with a happy sigh and stretched her arms above her head. "Ah, fresh air. No stale recycled air." She took a deep breath and let it out with a small laugh.

Ozan pressed the button on their small lift and pushed it down the ramp. "Had I known you were this restless we would have stopped and trained." He said, and watched her face with obvious amusement as she backpedaled.

"Oh, oh no. I love our ship. It's so cozy and comfortable. I can't wait to get back to it." She corrected and avoided his eyes with a small smirk. "It's great. So wonderful."  
Ozan pushed the lift into the market, his eyes sparkling with laughter, even if his face was completely serious. "That's good to hear." He turned and began to talk to vendors and their lift began to fill with their needed supplies.

Kai walked with her hands in her pockets and she looked over at Rayfe. "So," she asked. "can I ask you a question?"

Rayfe looked over at her and lifted a shoulder in agreement. "Sure. What's your question?"  
Kai kicked at the dust and looked to the other side of the market, away from him and took a deep breath. "So, a guy like you, in the company of Hondo Onaka…. what's your story? How did you end up there, exactly?"  
Rayfe let out a short laugh and turned his eyes to her. She ducked her head under his gaze, knowing he was looking at her and a smile pulled on his lips. "Getting right to the bone, are we?" He retorted, and he saw her cheeks turn a light pink, which made him smile more.

"You…you don't have answer if you don't want. I guess I was just curious, but Ozan said my curiosity can get the best of me sometimes. He says one day it will get me in trouble." She said hesitantly and Ozan, hearing her words, gave a small affirmative nod as he looked back.

Rayfe gently nudged her with his elbow, so that she would look at him again, even if there was a hint of worry in her eyes. _'She thinks you'll be angry with her.' _He said to himself and gave her an easy grin, one that usually had her cheeks turning that lovely shade of pink, or her eyes rolling, and sometimes both. This time it just seemed to calm her.  
"Oh, there's not much to the story of Rayfe Lorschoc." He said and grabbed a piece of fruit from the lift. "A group of pirates attacked my village, my home, and took many of us captives as slaves. I worked for a short time under a certain crime boss, doing manual labor and such. I think I was better off than most of my people." His voice dropped the confident note it always carried. "I never saw my family again, once I was sold. I haven't been able to find them, and in my heart, I hope they're no longer in pain. It's the most I can do." His eyes squinted as he was lost in thought, vainly trying to block out the obvious fate of the ones he loved.  
He looked down at saw Kai staring up at him, blue eyes wide, but what was even more surprising was the tears in them. He frowned, the tips of his lekku twitching in agitation. "Come now, don't tell my story plucked at your heart stings that much…there's millions of stories like mine out there."

She shook her head, and swiped at her eyes for a moment, seeming to be collecting herself. It didn't escape his notice, but Ozan had given her one concerned look, and then pulled farther ahead, giving them privacy. That was new, he mused, as usually Ozan kept a protective eye on his daughter whenever Rayfe was nearby.

"Maybe it does a little." Kai said quietly and shoved her hands further into her pockets. "The thing is….my mother was killed by a pirate crew when I was young, and I was taken to a…" She shudders but continues. "A horrible place. That's where Ozan found me, and he saved me that day. I guess it just makes me sad to know that another person had to go through the same pain I did, losing their family and all, having their life turned upside down. It's not fair." She finally said, and risked a look back up him.

Rayfe looked at her in a new light for just a moment. It was obvious that Ozan wasn't her birth father, but as he realized she knew what he had gone through as a child, it made him feel closer to her. Like they had a bond that many understood, but not all. But they understood each other.

His lekku stopped twitching as he relaxed, and the lekku that lay in front of his shoulder twitched close to her and gently brushed her cheek, and her eyes flew up to his at the motion.  
He gave her a reassuring smile and then his cocky smile was back as he wrapped an arm around her and dragged her to his side. "it's not fair, but that's why we're in the job we are. To make a difference, right?"

Kai couldn't help but smile as he grabbed her and she resisted the urge to slam her elbow into his gut, instead opting for a resigned sigh and roll of the eyes, which had the exact effect she thought it would, as he simply held her tighter and looked up at the sky and smiled wide. She considered calling out to Ozan for help but…maybe she could be kind to him this one time.  
Maybe it wouldn't hurt.

Because after all, their paths had crossed for a reason, and Kai was going to find out why.

(Wonder where I get all those words? Well here you are, wonder no more) star-wars-insults-and-expletives-2958001


	11. Chapter 11

_(Present Day)_

Kai let out a slow breath, but she couldn't quite figure out what was waking her up until she opened her eyes with a blink, and gave a start as she saw a figure handing upside down on the ladder. His head was bald tattooed with a blue line that ran down across his eye, and he stared at her with wide brown eyes, and she glared back at him from the safety of her blankets.

"Can I kriffing _help _you?" She growled as she slowly woke up more, and his face split into a wide grin at her words.  
"She's alive, brothers! I told you she wasn't dead. Even if she did look it." He shouted across the room and she groaned and rolled to cover her head so she didn't have to listen to him. It was too early in the morning for the large personality this clone carried around.

"We knew she wasn't dead, Hardcase." She heard another identical voice call back. "You didn't need to stare at her for ten minutes to figure that out. We all could literally see her breathing."  
"Well how was I supposed to tell? You know I have a hard time noticing little things sometimes She hasn't moved a muscle for hours." He shot back, and she heard him hit the ground and she looked up enough to see him stretch, the tattoos on his shoulders and back bunching and shifting as he did so. "I wake up, and there's a bounty hunter in the bed underneath mine, and I didn't want Rex to get mad if she didn't wake up. You know he'd blame me."  
She let out a deep sigh, and sat up, running her hand through her hair. "Well, not to worry because he's going to end up blaming me, because if you keep talking this early in the morning when I'm far away from my caff, there's going to be an extra bunk come nighttime." She threatened, and all the clones near her burst into various levels of laughter, and this Hardcase joined them, his smile wide at her threat.  
"You know what? You're not so bad. You're going to fit in really well here, I think." He said, and she offered a grunt as she stood as well, and made her way to the 'fresher, ignoring everyone else as she leaned down and washed her face.

She brought up a couple handfuls of water, washing the sleep away from her eyes, and she looked up at the mirror with a neutral gaze, and caught the eye of the clone next to her, who was trying to shave, but kept looking over at her. She gave him a small smile, and nearly chuckled at the pink tint that brushed his cheeks. She had to admit, that was one of her favorite things to do, given some of the clones blushed very easily.

"You're going to cut yourself if you don't watch what you're doing." She chided, and he looked back at the mirror and continued with a small smile, as she walked out. She got under her bunk and pulled out her bag, and grabbed out some different clothes to wear for the day, and stood up, forgetting that there was another bunk in her trajectory. The back of her head cracked against the metal and she dropped back down to her knees with a curse, her hand flying up to cradle the spot as it throbbed.

She rubbed at the back of her head, with her eyes squeezed shut and she felt a hand grab her wrist and she tensed and went to turn when the owner of the hand spoke.

"It's Kix. Let me take a look. You're ok, I promise I'm not going to hurt you. Move your hand." He said, his voice somehow, amazingly putting her at ease and her hand moved, and he pressed lightly and hummed.  
"Well, you didn't bleed like a lot of boys do, which means you didn't hit it as hard, so I guess you're ok. It's happened to everyone." He said, trying to make her feel better, and she turned as she stood, and there was at least another dozen troopers staring at her with varying degrees of concern and clear sympathy.  
She rubbed her head one more time, and looked up. "Well, I'll be sure to avoid doing that ever again, because that _hurt._" She muttered, and slowly bend down to get her clothes before standing back up, keeping a smile off of her own face as she hears chuckles echo through the room.

She went into the stall and changed her clothes quickly, slipping on a loose pair of red shorts that hit the middle of her thigh, and a short sleeved black shirt that hugged her frame. She shook her hair out, and brought it up in a bun, albiet a messy one. Feeling refreshed, and thanks to the bed frame, awake, she folded her clothes and brought them back into the room, packing them away, before grabbing her tablet, and slipping on some shoes.  
She walked down the hall, determined to do at least one check on her ship before anything happened. That was the thing, she had almost no idea what this next mission entailed, and she wanted to know more.

Most of the day had passed with her in her ship, and with no word to join from the generals, she saw a platoon of men flew out to try and capture Cad Bane, and the whine of the engine alerted her to their returning presence. She set down her wrench and stepped out and watched the gunship land with a smile.

Troopers piled out, including one who held his arm close to his body, which meant he was hurt, and she felt a frown on her face. She didn't know why, but watching them when they were injured, saddened her. Ozan said it was because she had a soft heart, and she tried to deny it to no avail.

It was the usual talk of food and rest that permeated the conversation and she watched as Commander Tano, Ashoka tried to engage the injured trooper. He walked silently, liquid dripping down his arm, not answering her. She could tell that it was beginning to worry Ashoka, and she was worried herself. Then she saw General Skywalker kneel down, and touch something on the ground before shouting out, and pointing at the clone. Ashoka looked up from where she was cradeling the clones arm in her hands, and when Anakin ran closer to her, telling her to get away, she watched as the clone kneed Ashoka in the stomach, and ran for the B-19 starfighters they had in the hanger. It hit her then, just as she heard the words, that the man she had thought was a clone, was in fact their target, and she ran after him.

Part of her screamed at her to stop, that Bane was far too good for her, and that he would kill her with no effort, but the other part, the part that wanted to protect others, and also prove herself, made her keep running.  
She looked down to see Ashoka running to Bane as well and she felt a small bit of relief, knowing she was ok. As she neared Bane, she saw him swing his bag around, hitting one clone and then another, and as she approached him, she threw a hard punch. He turned on his heel, and grabbed her hand tightly, and she felt bones grind as he squeezed. She yelped as white hot pain shot up her arm, and she threw a kick his way, catching him in the ribs and he caught her leg, and threw her to the side, making her hit the ground with a thud. He ran and jumped into the starfighter, and closed the hatch as he lifted off.

Aided by the force, Anakin jumped onto the ship and as the starfighter flew down the length of the ship, she watched him get tossed back and forth before finally falling off, and running as he slowed. The ship disappeared and the hanger seemed to resume its normal motions, soldiers checking on the two clones that had been hit. She sat up and winced as she placed weight on her hand, and she looked up curiously as two pairs of armored boots walked into her vision.

Rex crouched, and gently grabbed her hand in his, his hands warm even through the gloves.

"I watched the whole thing. He had quite the grip didn't he? Are you alright?" He asked quietly and he shifted her hand and fingers with practiced movements.  
Kai didn't say anything but winced as he moved her hand, and he looked up with a raised brow and she responded with a slight nod.  
"I've had worse. I'll be alright." She climbed to her feet, and he helped her, a hand on her arm.  
She waved him away but smiled as she did so. "Honestly Rex, I'm ok. Why don't you check on your men? I promise I'm just fine."

Rex gave her one last long look before nodding and turning on his heel to make sure everyone was alright. Kai got an update from Ashoka of the happenings, and there was nothing they could do now except return to Coruscant to inform the Jedi Council of the situation.

With the ship underway, there was nothing for Kai to do, but go to the med bay and have one of the boys give her something for her wrist, which was now aching something fierce.

She wandered into the med bay and went and sat on a cot, a nurse droid of sorts rolling up to her.  
"What is the matter, young lady?" the droid asked in a masculine voice, his glowing white eyes fixed on hers, and his head tilted.  
She smiled and held up her arm. "I really messed up my arm fighting in the hanger, and now it hurts to move my fingers." She placed it back on her lap and the droid picked it up and seemed to analyze it, a buzzing sound audible as he examined it.

"You should avoid fighting with others in the medical bay. It could lead to a serious injury. May I recommend the training center for any needs or wants to practice your skills." The droid lectured, and she hid a smile. Of course he wouldn't know about Bane's attack, not this soon at least, and his advice amused her.  
"I'll be sure to keep that in mind." She responded and watched as he moved her fingers around, stopping when she'd wince. He then grabbed a small splint and closed it around her wrist, and kept her from moving it too far, and it was slightly padded on the inside to avoid the brace pressing on any swelling that would develop.

Once he fastened it, his head tilted as he regarded her. "Is your pain less now?" She wiggled her fingers a little and nodded.  
"Yeah, it does feel better." She slid off the bed and smiled. "Thanks. You're not too bad you know that?" She teased and she could hear the processors whirl and his eyes flickered.

"I cannot be bad at my job, or people will die." He explained and she hid a smile as she gave him a salute with her good hand.  
"That's true. Well thank you, good sir." She quipped and walked out into the hall and her stomach grumbled, making her change course from her room to the mess hall. The door slid open when she approached and she walked into the hall and down to where there was food.

She smiled as she got her tray of food, and then she grumbled as she tried to pick up her tray, by sliding it onto her braced hand, the other hand holding the opposite side, but it kept sliding and she huffed out in frustration.

Suddenly another hand grabbed her tray and lifted it. "Here, let me help you with that." She heard a voice speak, and looked up and saw Jesse and she smiled wide.

"Ah, hey thanks. I thought I could do it, but it seems I'm more of a cripple right now that I thought." She said with a deep sigh as she sat and picked up her fork.

He sat back down at his own tray, and she realized he had gotten up specifically for her and it made her smile just a little bit. "Well, I'll do my very best to never let you forget it." He teased her and she scooped up her own food and rolled her eyes as the table was filled with chuckles and laughter. When the men around her straightened and saluted, she turned to see Rex, a tray in his own hand.

"Sorry, Kai I didn't mean to cut off the conversation. I just thought I'd come to the mess with the rest of the boys. It's been a while. Please," he sat down, and looked at her while taking a bite. "continue."

She swallowed and took a drink of water. "So where are we going?" She asked, and Rex took a bite. "Back to Corescant. The General and the commander have to speak to the council and consider our next move, and then we'll go from there. We may have an upcoming campaign on Geonosis as well, but that will still need to be solidified." He explained and she nodded with a shrug.  
"Ok. Does that mean we do anything or are we just supposed to sit and wait for orders?" She asked, and Jesse tilted his head to look at her, his amber eyes strangely sharp and fixed on her. She felt like if it was on anyone else, it would be unnerving. "You're not used to doing that, are you?"

Kai moved to the food around her tray, very aware of the six sets of curious 501st eyes on her, and she nodded. "No, I guess I'm not. I mean, I'm glad I took this job. It's security, payment, good practice, and I get to be a part of something again." She sighed and looked up. "I think I've just been alone, calling my own shots for a long time, that it's hard to wait for someone to tell me what to do." She moved a piece of meat with her fork and when she felt a foot nudge hers, she looked up and saw Kix looking at with what she would call a tender expression.

"I take it from that expression, that you didn't chose to be alone, did you?" He asked, and she looked down and to the side and shook her head, a piece of her hair falling in her face as she saw her mom in her mind. She closed her eyes as she heard the familiar report of a blaster and she winced before looking back up.  
"No, I didn't. My…village was attacked and my family was killed and I was nearly sold into slavery but saved by a man that is now currently imprisoned on this planet. That's the very short version." She said, Kai looked down at her hands and back up at the group and they were still watching her.

She could tell some of them were very curious and she bit her lip before looking at them all.  
"Wait, your _family _was killed? How? By who?" One of newer troopers asked and cut off shyly with a sharp look from the captain. She decided to sit up on the table, since the rest of it behind her was empty and she faced them with a elbow on her knee, her chin cradled in her palm. Why in_ galaxy's name_ was she telling them this? And why did she feel so comfortable doing so?

"You don't have to do that, Rex. It's ok. I gave that explanation knowing there'd be more questions." She said quietly and softly dug her toe into the bench.  
"My father left me and my mother when I was ten years old, and we did really on our own, until a group of pirates attacked our village. They were led by a woman named Viya, a cold and heartless woman and they…" she winced and cleared her throat. "they killed everyone but me and some of the other young kids and tried to sell us into slavery. I thought for sure I was going to be sold to someone horrible, be subjected to a life of fear and pain, but Ozan bought me. I was with him up until about six years ago, when he was arrested." She looked up and saw Rex looking at her, not eating as he stared at her, his eyes watching hers closely.

"I'm sorry. That must have been horrible to experience. No child should ever have to go through that." He told her quietly and she shrugged as she usually did when someone said that. She could have always had it worse, she told herself. That's what she always told herself. It was too painful to linger on it longer than that.

"Thank you. I appreciate it. I was one of the lucky ones. I know what people think of people like me, what they whisper to each other, what they say up here on topside." She said with a slight tone of bitterness. "They think we're nothing but thieves and murderers, the lot of us that are good for nothing except dying and leaving the universe in peace. But they don't understand that there are good people out there, people like my father now. Ozan's one of the best men I know. But they wouldn't listen if I tried to explain that." She cast a look up at the other men.  
"I'm sure you clones kind of understand that. I hear a lot, and I know what they say about you, and I'm sorry, but it's not right. They don't understand what it's like for all of you, what it's like to not have a choice in your circumstance." She finished and Kix waved it off.

"Eh, we're alright. We have a lot thicker skin that most people think. A few comments like that aren't enough to hurt us." He reassured her, but she wasn't sure that she believed him. How do you completely brush off every opinion that people across the galaxy share of you? They didn't think clones were human, and she knew in their mind, that bounty hunters were nearly the same in their opinion.

She sat up and took a deep breath, and ran her head over her head, and down her ponytail, detangling it with her fingers and letting it fall back over her shoulder.  
"So, enough about my sad story." She swung her foot a little and reached over to Rex's plate and snatched one of his rolls and bit into it, causing a laughing ruckus as the rest of the clones started laughing. Rex gaped at her for a moment, and then his face hardened into a glare as he stared at the stolen item.  
"Ah, it may come as a surprise to you, but that was my plate, therefore _my _food you just…took." He explained and she leaned back onto her elbow and after a small moment of hesitation, she gave him a small wink as a distraction as she started to eat the roll.

That caused even more ruckus causing other troopers sitting at different tables to look over in curiosity and Kai was rewarded with the rare sight of Captain Rex blushing, his cheeks turning a light pink, his mouth dipped in a tiny frown.  
She then waved her hand a little at the rest of the 501st. "Alright, alright, lets give him a break." She was about to say something else, when a small high pitched beeping sound reached her ears.

She looked down at her comm and smiled wide as it flashed with a familiar name, and she looked back up. "I'm sorry, I actually need to take this. It's one of my work associates from the Outer Rim. I may have a job coming up, either that or he just needs me for information. Excuse me." She said and when Rex nodded, and the rest of the clones gave their farewell, she slid off the table.

As she started walking down the hall, she pressed answer, and the image of a Rodian man popped up and he raised an eyebrow ridge at her.  
"Hey, Bo. What's going on?" She asked, ignoring the look he was giving her, and smiled with the hope he'd move on and she wouldn't have to endure his prodding.  
"Is there a reason I'm callin' you and it's routin' me from your normal comm unit to a _Republic_ frequency?" He said, his voice raising it pitch the further down the sentence he got. She walked down the hall and into the bunk room and the door slid closed with a hiss. A few clones looked up at her as she walked by and either went back to sleep, or back to their card games or whatever else they were doing.

"Ah, yes. There's a very easy explanation, you see. I'm working with the Grand Army of the Republic and you know me, I'm bound to leave one of my comms in the wrong place. And it's true. I left my personal one in my ship, so it went right to the one they gave me. Now, what do you need?"  
Bo scoffed and shook his head. "You're workin' with the Republic? Which means you're workin' topside on Corescant. Have you gone out of your mind _insane_, woman? You know they'll lock you up as soon as they get a klick within your criminal record right?"

Kai laughed and shook her head and shook her head at the nearest clone, who looked with a look of alarm. No doubt he thought she believed that, and she appreciated the concern. He was one of the newer soldiers that she had been working with, Tez, and he was very kind to her.

"Bo, you _know _I have amnesty right? They're not throwing me in prison until they're done with me, and before they've even decided that, I'll be gone. You don't have to worry about me. Now, instead of nagging me, did you actually need something?" She asked, and he shook his head with a grumble.

"Yeah, it's not a job, but I'll pay you five hundred credits to go through some files and information I have, and tell me where my target's base will be. I don't have the time to do it, and I need what's on them." He asked her and she raised a slow brow and laid on her stomach, one arm holding her chin up.  
"You don't have time, or you were planning on going out tonight, so you don't want to?" she asked, and he looked away and cursed as she caught on and he looked at her with the most sheepish look she'd seen on him in a long time, and it was enough to answer her question.  
"Alright, I'll do it for seven hundred credits, since I'm feeling kind." She shot back and his head snapped up and he glared at her.  
"Seven hundred? For some file work? What, you think I'm made of money like that? Six twenty five, and no less." He argued back and she pretended to think for a moment and looked back at him.

"Six hundred and…forty." She offered, and she saw him think before rolling his eyes, and she grinned in triumph.

"Alright. You can go sit on six hundred and forty credits of mine, in your fancy ship full of soldiers and jail cells, since it makes you so happy." Her tablet dinged as a message came in, saying that she had received a payment. She waved a little and sat up.  
"Thank you dearly, Bo. I appreciate it. Next drink's on me, I promise." She laughed as he waved at her and cursed in his native language before disconnecting.  
It was always a refreshing conversation with him, and she smiled as he sent her the files and she scooted up to the head of her bed, before settling into her pillow. She started slowly going through them, gleaning the information she needed, and let the unseen stars streak by as she worked.  
She could get used to this, she thought. What she was doing right now, really _all _of where her life was right now, wasn't too bad. She thought that maybe Bo was right, maybe this _did_ make her happy.

Their ship hurtled through space, with her in it, surrounded by troopers and conversation and laughter and right then, Kai realized that she felt good where she was, and she closed her eyes. It'd been far too long.


	12. Chapter 12

(Author's Note: SO much thanks to those of you who help me with my spelling mistakes on names and such! I appreciate it!)

_(Flashback) _

The market was buzzing with activity as the three of them wandered through the aisles and Kai did try her best not to get distracted. Apparently, that was not enough, because Ozan chided her and she rolled her eyes.

"Oh, come on, it's a jewelry stand _right_ next to a weapons booth. How do you expect me to not stop? You know what I'm like…" She lowered her brows and stuck out her lip the slightest bit.

He gave her a flat look, considering her for a few moments before he shook his head. "I am stopping by this cantina on the chance I _can _find a job. I want you to finish up the list and get back to the ship. No side-trips, no delays. If I'm able to pick up a bounty I will message you, and I'll come back to get what I need for the job. You will hear from me in a half an hour, at latest."  
Kai recognized his serious tone, and she nodded, all playing and teasing gone.

"You got it. We'll grab the rest." She assured him and when Rayfe opened his mouth to say something most likely sarcastic, she elbowed him in the gut. He shot her an offended look and she shook her head.  
Ozan set his hand on her shoulder and squeezed once before walking into the alleyway for the doorway to the cantina and Kai kept walking.

"Why does he get so serious when he talks business? And for that matter, why is he serious so much the time? I don't think I've seen him smile more than _once _since I've met him, and even then, it was more of a…smirk." He narrowed his eyes at her a little bit and she glared up at him.

"Oh, would you stop it? He doesn't have to smile all the time. He's happy, he just doesn't show it…on the outside. So just leave it ok?" She shook her head, feeling defensive and continued to walk the market.

Rayfe didn't leave the subject alone for very long, which she had to admit, didn't surprise her. The next booth he piped up.  
"OK, but you didn't tell me why he gets so serious with business." He complained and she paid for the goods and looked over her shoulder.  
"Are you not serious when it comes to business? I mean, it is his livelihood and it's what keeps us fed, fueled and alive. Why wouldn't he take it seriously?"  
Rayfe shrugged and lifted one of the bags onto the lift and offered the woman at the booth a large smile in response to hers and she blushed and turned away.

"I take things seriously. I just would be curious to see what would happen if he smiled…I wonder what he would look like." He mused and she scoffed and went to the final booth.

"I'm pretty sure if we had a training session and I knocked you flat on your back he'd smile." She grinned and he growled a little at her, exposing a sharp canine and she kept in a laugh as she continued. "I'd be willing to do that. Maybe that'd be fun."  
He shook his head, his lekku twitching on the end and he walked ahead of her, leaving her to laugh under her breath and follow.

Once they were back on the ship, it took them a little under a half hour to offload all of their supplies and store them in the proper spots. They managed to fill another hour of their time before she started wondering where Ozan was.

She looked down at the comm attached onto her wrist for the fifth, or maybe sixth time. She didn't dare send him a message, considering the risk that his comm had been taken or something of that sort, and she didn't want to disobey him.

"Quite looking at your comm, Kai. You looking at it is not going to make him answer you." Rayfe chided and she huffed out a harsh breath, and looked over in irritation. He raised an eyebrow ridge at her and crossed his arms as he leaned against the cargo bay wall. "And glaring at me won't fix it either. I know you're worried, but you told me that we would wait. So that's what we're going to do."  
He was also conveniently standing right by the bay door controls, which meant if she wanted to open the door, she'd have to get around him. She came up to the side and reached out to press the button and he slapped her hand away, firm enough to make her skin tingle. "No. Stop it. We are not going."

Kai felt her anxiety rise, and her chest ached as it did when she got nervous, the sensation going down her arms. Another look at her comm and she looked at the closed door. Most likely he had just gotten distracted or had to deal with more than he had initially guessed.

She sat on the crate and ran over a few more lists of contacts and supplies, and A-6 whistled at her from the cockpit. She stood and walked up the ladder, not paying attention to Rayfe as she climbed to sit on top of it, her feet swinging. A-6 came near her and whistled again, sounding concerned and she shrugged.  
"I haven't heard from him, and I'm getting nervous buddy." A few beeps answered her and she shook her head. "Look, I know that. He usually messages by now though, and I didn't want him to go in alone but he did. I want to go look for him." A-6 let out a low whine and shook his dome back and forth, and she chuckled a little. "Oh, come on. You know I'd be just fine. What are you saying, that it'd be too dangerous for me? You don't know how well I'd do. I'm getting pretty good."  
Rayfe came down to the bottom and looked up at her, his elbow resting on a couple of stacked boxes, one leg crossed in front of the other. He stared at her for a long moment as she talked to the droid and he let out a small sigh. "I agree with the droid on this. We should wait."

Kai shot him down a look and rolled her eyes. "Look, just because I say I'm going to go, doesn't mean I'm actually going—" She cut off as her comm crackled to life and she answered.

"Ozan, where are you? I haven't heard from you, are you ok?" She asked and his voice came through, but through the sound of an explosion, and it made the speaker crackle.

"Need-get out-don't come back-" his voice came through in bits and pieces and her blood seemed to go cold. She held the comm closer to her face with a shaking hand.  
"What _happened?_" She cried out softly and when he responded it sounded like he'd found a moment of cover.  
"There are…old acquaintances of mine here, ones I thought I'd never see again, ones from a long time ago. I owe them a lot of credits. It just so happens they want to receive their payment today. I want you to leave." His voice was gravely and his breath dragged in with effort.

"They don't know about you, and it will stay that way. Get to a different system, before they head to their own ships. Do you hear me?" He asked her and she shook her head, like he could see her.  
"No, Ozan. I'm not leaving you. Where are you? I'll get you out of there." Her breath was coming in short bursts and her eyes burned.

She saw Rayfe straighten up and come closer to the base of the ladder and she stared at him wide eyed before turning back to the comm  
The firefight sounded like it was picking back up and there were sounds of running and yells of pain and anger. "Do not argue with me, Kai. Leave! This instant." A deafening roar greeted her and her speakers whined to the point she thought they'd burst and then all she heard was static. She pressed the button over and over again, every muscle bunched, lungs burning.

She slid down the ladder and paced on the floor. "Ozan!" She pressed it again. "Ozan answer me." A tear slid down her face and her breath shook with every stop. "Ozan! Please. Where are you?" A final word came out before she stumbled over her own feet. "_DAD!" _

But there was only static. That was it.

Arms caught her before she fell and she stared up into Rayfe's face, which held a surprising amount of concern. She angrily wiped her tears away and jerked away from him and stalked to the door, slamming down on the button. She grabbed a rifle and loaded in a fresh cartridge and she slid two more charges into her pockets.

"Don't _try _and stop me. I'm going to find him. You can stay here if you want, but I'm going to find him." She slid a small pistol into her jacket as well and Rayfe's hand was suddenly on top of hers, stopping her. She looked up and he silenced her with a shake of his head.  
"I'm not trying to stop you. I'm coming with you." She opened her mouth to say something and he shushed her again as he lifted his hand and grabbed his own choice of weapons, a vibro-staff being one of them. He then stopped her and placed a hand under her chin so she'd look at him, and her shoulders rose and fell rapidly with all the adrenaline running through her body.  
"But if you go like this," he moved his hand to her shoulder and pressed down slightly, "you will die. You need to be clear headed. We're going to find him, and we're going to bring him back, okay? We're not far from the market. I will carry him if he's injured."  
Later Kai would feel bad for asking, but under such stress the first thing she blurted out was. "How do I know you won't betray me? Betray us?"  
Rayfe had the class, and the poise to not even look shocked as he shook his head, his lekku curling slightly on the end before relaxing. "You can't. But I not planning on going anywhere, I promise." He told her, keeping eye contact with her. "But that is not what's really important right now. Right now, you need to breath. Please. You're not well."  
She growled and threw on her jacket and walked down the ramp. "No _kriff _I'm not well. I don't have time to waste. Let's go."  
Rayfe jogged slightly to get in front of her and without a word, he suddenly grabbed her and pressed her to his chest and he wrapped his arms tightly around her. She struggled a bit, her skin feeling like it was crawling, and he chided her. "Stop. Breath. I can feel you trembling as we speak. At this rate you won't be able to shoot straight. You'll end up hitting the local militia instead." His voice vibrated through his chest and seemed to soak into her and she closed her eyes for a moment before sucking in the first real breath she'd had in a few minutes. He nodded, his head near hers. "Good job. Try it again."  
She grumbled. "I know how to karking breath. I'm not a baby." She grumbled and he laughed a little, his shoulders shaking.  
She leaned into him for one small moment and breathed out slow out of her mouth and she pulled back before looking up at him.

He stared at her for just a moment before straightening his own jacket. "Better. Now, let's go."  
He started running towards the obvious sounds of fighting and screaming and she stared at him for a moment before shaking her head again for good measure, and ran after him.

The small town was in chaos. There were a few buildings that had taken the brunt of the explosions she'd heard, and the entire market was filled with smoke and screams.

They did their best to avoid the dead mercenaries and gang members that were scattered in various spots.

They ducked and hid behind some crates, and Rayfe pointed with the muzzle of his blaster rifle. "Over there. That seems to be the thick of it. And if this just a gang fight and not a pirate attack, then that'll be it." He whispered, and she nodded before jumping out and scanning the area, nodding that it was clear.

They made it around the corner and came face to face with a man wearing a black jacket, an insignia on the front. He yelled and raised his own rifle, and Rayfe quickly raised his gun and fired before the man could shoot.

He ran around the next corner and gestured to inside the inner market square, where she could still hear fighting. They snuck down an alley and peeked out.  
Most fire was trained in one corner, but a few came from cross directions. She quickly scanned the open space, but there was so much smoke, so much dust in the air it was hard to see.

They came out into the square and snuck behind some droid pulled transports, making for the large collapses building. The last thing they'd heard from Ozan's end was an explosion so when they reached the area, she frantically began looking. She moved some rocks away and found a few other fighters she didn't recognize, and then she spotted a red hand peeking out form a large section of rock. Not red with blood, like many were, but red as if that was the tint of their skin.

She held in a cry and ran forward until she reached the hand and she cleared away as much as she could, and risking exposing herself, laid down until she could see under the rock, and she cried out softly as she saw Ozan's face. His eyes were closed and this time, his skin _was _covered in blood.  
"Rayfe!" She yelled. "He's right here. Help me get this rock off of him."  
Rayfe turned, his eyes fierce as he looked between her and the firefight he was watching. He quickly walked backwards and slung the gun over his back, before grabbing part of the slab of the wall.

Kai lifted as much as she could, the rock digging into her hands and her arms shaking as much as she could. She felt the rock shift and she panted. "Yes! We're getting it! It's moving."  
Rayfe closed his eyes and adjusted his grip before he took a deep breath, and _lifted_, the muscles in his arms and shoulders bunching and straining. He bared his teeth and eventually the rock titled and slid down on his right, knocking other rocks lose. That was going to draw some attention, so they needed to hurry.

He grabbed his gun again, his arms shaking and handed it to Kai, and she took it from him before raising it and firing three times. He looked behind him to see two men fall, knives dropping out of their hands. Rayfe knelt and slung Ozan's unresponsive frame across his shoulders before standing, legs shaking with effort as well.

His accent was extremely thick as he called out. "Kai. Clear a way out of here. I have him."  
She nodded and they ran down the alley before skidding to a stop.

A large man stood in their way and he spit once, before two other men joined him.  
"I was wondering where Ozan had disappeared off to. Turns out the hitting the e-web battery actually worked. Shame though, those things don't come cheap. Maybe I could sell the three of you and get another. You'd all fetch a handsome price." The man's voice was low and disgusting and Kai raised the gun so the barrel sights rested right between the man's eyes.  
"We're taking him and leaving, so get out of the way or we'll kill you." She threatened and the man laughed before flicking a finger forward and bullets rained down front the roof. Rayfe threw him and Ozan behind a pile of rocks and Kai scrambled to get out of range.

She was able to squeeze off a couple shots and a man fell from the roof, and Rayfe laid Ozan down for a moment. "Forgive me, old man. I won't leave you there forever." He said quietly and igniting the vibro-staff, the ends crackling with purple electricity. He stepped out to face the five men, and cracked his neck.  
Spinning it quickly he slammed one end into a man's gut, electricity arching across his whole body, before he fell into a boneless heap. He kicked out viciously and the man who came to his right with a knife hit the wall with a crack and he swept the staff behind his knees and pulled, before slamming it down into the man's chest.

He spun the staff over his head, and was able to take two more men out, before he snarled and swung the staff in the mob leader's direction. The man dodged and ran, driving a shoulder into Rayfe's gut causing his breath to leave in a huff. Rayfe drove his elbow down into the man's neck and when he cried out, he wrapped his hand around the man's throat and squeezed _hard _before backing the man up into the wall.

He _hated _this man, and he hated all men like this. He was the reason for where he was in his life. He was the kind of man that caused so much pain and chaos in this galaxy.  
All he could see was his little sister, her face contorted in fear as a man just like this ripped him out of her mother's arms, separating the two of them. His father, dead only a few feet away, gunned down without any warning. The man had shot him without blinking.  
Rayfe growled before throwing the man back and the man tripped over a rock and landed on his back and he held up a hand. "Please! You're a strong young man. I have credits. Don't kill me. I could use a man of your talents."  
Rayfe pulled the gun he had stored in his pocket, out and aimed it at the man. "Then we have a problem. I have no use for you." He pulled the trigger and without looking back, turned around and picked up Ozan, ignoring Kia's gaze. "Let's go. Now. Before more show up."

Kai stood up quickly, ignoring the murderous look in Rayfe's eye and they ran back to the ship only having to stop one other time to fight their way clear.  
They dragged Ozan up into the cargo bay and Kai yelled out. "A-6 get us out of here." A whistle came back and she yelled even louder. "I don't care where we go. Just get us to a different planet. Any of them. Do it now!"  
The ship lifted up and she ran quickly and grabbed two med packs before kneeling back down. Rayfe had gotten Ozan's shirt off and she saw shrapnel wounds all up his side and she shook her head in panic. "I don't know enough to fix this. He needs professional help. What do we do?"  
Rayfe raised a finger for a moment as he stared down. "I'm thinking." He bit his lip in thought before pulling out an earpiece and a comm, and he grabbed a roll of gauze, and Kai reached for another one. They bandaged him the best they could while Rayfe talked rapidly in Ryl to someone. He looked at her and told her to get to Endor as fast as they could, that his contact would help them. When she shot him a questioning glance, he frowned but looked back down at Ozan as he finished bandaging him. "I have a favor to cash in."  
Kai grabbed a painkiller and gently injected it into Ozan's neck and she covered him the best she could with a blanket before laying a hand on his head.  
"You're going to be ok. We're going to get you some help." She said affectionately and Rayfe stood to remove his jacket that was covered in soot.

Kai stared at him for a moment before standing, her legs protesting every step. She got a bunch of wet rags and grabbed a bucket of water, filling it before walking over and setting it in between the both of them.

"Might as well not look like we _all_ are on death's door." She teased lightly, knowing full well how much ash and dirt covered her own face.  
Rayfe took the rag she offered and proceeded to clean his face in brisk strokes, closing his eyes.

Kai scrubbed her own face and they stayed that way for a long time, only pausing to switch out rags after rinsing didn't clean the rag.  
She grabbed another one and scrubbed at her knuckles and she watched him clean the back of his head, and down his lekku, avoiding the scar on the left one. His eyes were guarded and hard, the normally teasing glint gone.  
She moved onto her other hand, and he looked up at her, catching her eyes. "Were you just going to stare at me the whole time, or were you going to say something?" He said quietly without a hint of his usual tone.

"I'm just…wondering if you're ok, that's all. I hope you don't take this the wrong way," Kai said carefully. "but I've never seen you like you were in the market before. I mean, sure when you're training you're pretty serious and when we're out in public you're focused but did you know that man?" She ended, looking at him carefully.

He looked away and finished up his lekku and he grabbed the leather strips before rewrapping the ends again. "He may have not been the same man that killed my family, but it was a crew just like his. They came in, set fire to my village, took all of our food and people. It was chaos, just like it was in the market. I'm not sure what happened. I just saw him, and" he shook his head, his eyes closing. "I suppose all those emotions came back." His breath shuddered out and he seemed to curl up as he sat down.  
When Kai knelt and put a hand on his shoulder, he flinched and immediately put a hand up and slid to the left, and his eyes flicked over her and the rest of the room.  
"No." he said quickly, forcefully and Kai watched him, not moving a muscle as he panicked.

"Hey, Rayfe. It's just me. I promise you're ok." She said quietly and tried to maintain eye contact with him. His eyes squinted as he breathed in and out slowly, but he managed to keep watching her.  
She slid over _very _slowly until she was about a foot from him and she slowly pointed to a spot right next to him. "Is it alright if I sit here?" She asked and she heard him take a few breaths and then he nodded hesitantly.

Kai slid over again, and settled in right next to him and she folded her hands in her lap, and she looked at the opposite wall, listening to the ship's engine as they traveled.

They stayed like that for a long time and she felt Rayfe slowly relax, the air becoming less tense, and his shoulders dropped slightly.

She risked a look over and he had his eyes closed, his head laying back against the crates. She stared up at him for a long moment and it was as if he sensed it because he opened an eye to look down at her. His eyes had softened, and now shone with a small amount of curiosity.

She looked away and watched Ozan's face as he slept, before laying her own head back. "I'm sorry." She said quietly, not wanting to disturb the atmosphere. "I know what it feels like, seeing everything you love taken from you, and not being able to do anything about it. I missed the fighting in my village. When I arrived it was all over. But I can understand why it was so hard to be in the market today."

She was met with silence and she closed her eyes before deciding to lay her head on his shoulder. They stayed like that for a few minutes, so she was surprised when a weight settled on top of her head.  
He was laying his head on hers, and she stayed completely still not wanting to startle and scare him away. "Thank you." He said, his voice devoid of all confidence, and it was so foreign, it made him sound like another person.

They stayed like that for a long time, leaning on each other, before the ship pulled and jerked slightly, signaling the exit out of hyperspace, and she straightened her head, and stood up quickly, feeling returning to her legs.  
"I'm going to land us at those coordinates, ok?" She asked and he nodded at her once before she walked away and scaled the ladder. She could still feel the weight of his head on hers, and she hid a small smile as she sat down in the cockpit, focusing.

She could think about that later. Right now, she had to save the man she called her father.


	13. Chapter 13

(Author's Note: Sorry it's been so long since an update! Life has been a little stressy and depressy, so I appreciate how kind y'all are! Thank you!)

(CW: Just a head's up, this has descriptions of injuries due to a battle, and general violence)

_(Present Day) _

General Skywalker and Ahsoka left to report to the Jedi Council on the surface about what had happened, and that meant that Kai stayed with the rest of the troopers on the Resolute. Due to the fast pace of the war and the frequent landing and taking off, they stayed in orbit.

So, as they hovered above the planet, Kai and the rest of the clones passed the rest of the day with sparring matches and shooting competitions and, after barely beating an ARC trooper that was on their cruiser, the rest of the company agreed that she deserved a drink the next time they had shore leave.

Kai was taking a break and sitting against a bench, when she felt someone sit next to her.  
She looked over and smiled immediately at the clone who had just sat. His hair was buzzed close to his head, and while he had no distinctive marks or tattoos, she recognized him.

"Hey Keen, what's up? How are you?" She asked and he turned and smiled shyly.  
"Not bad, Kai. How are you doing?" He asked, and she withheld a grin she felt coming on. He was always _so_ politeto her, a genuine surprise since not many people felt it necessary to be kind to someone of her position.

"I'm hanging in there, just waiting for our next set of orders. I still don't know how you all just wait around, and don't feel stressed. I always want to know what's going on." She complained and he elbowed her, an easy grin on his face.

"Hey relax, you'll find out when you find out. Right now, the Jedi are figuring out the next step and we're here, waiting and enjoying not being shot at. That's good enough, right?" He tried to persuade her and she shrugged with a sigh.

"Yeah, sure, I guess you're right." She conceded and it made him laugh as he viewed her slightly irritated expression.  
"You're always so agreeable. It's nice having someone so constant around." He said as he teased her, and he dodged as she tried to smack him lazily from her position.

"Why don't you keep your mouth shut, ya cheeky nugget…" She muttered and he snorted and swatted her own hand away with barely any effort.

"Nugget? I have nearly 35 pounds on you, and about five inches and you're calling me a nugget? I'll show you nugget!" He tried to pounce on her and she saw a clone veteran, Jesse come over and wrap Keen up in what looked like a brotherly hug, but it was actually a restraint.

Keen glared over. "Get off me, I have my name to clear. I'll show you who's a nugget." He shifted his glare to her.  
Kai danced up onto her feet and blew them both a kiss. "See you around, little guy. Thanks for the help, Jesse. He's just annoyed because I called him a nugget." She explained and Jesse laughed as he held onto his struggling brother.  
"He is kind of like a little nugget, isn't he? All small and cute." Jesse slipped right into the joke and Keen practically seethed and glared up at his brother. "We're the _same fekking size…_"

Kai couldn't stop laughing and she took the opportunity of Jesse fending off his brother with a loud laugh, to jog out of the room and out into the hall.

As she walked out she passed Commander Tano and General Skywalker walking a man down the hall. And the man was none other than the infamous Cad Bane. She paused and raised an eyebrow as Bane made eye contact with her.

"Not so good now, are you?" She said slyly and he shook his head and glared at her. Here was one of the best bounty hunters in the galaxy, practically a legend, in handcuffs and she couldn't help but smile.  
"I don't have time to be arguin' with a bounty hunter who has no name for herself." He said, his modulated voice rasping. Ahsoka stopped and looked back and forth between the two of them with, her eye ridge raised.

Kai laughed out loud, shocking some of the clones near them and even Bane himself. "Sure, keep telling yourself that, old man. Meanwhile I'm the one out of chains, so I'm just going to go enjoy my meal and hot caff. You have a good night now."

He growled at her quietly and she leaned forward and smiled as she waved at him, her eyes squinted and she turned back around. "Oh, you're so scary." She shook her head and continued down the hall, and bumped directly into Rex as she turned the corner and she jerked her thumb behind her with a grin.

"How'd they end up getting him? He's not exactly an _easy _man to catch. I mean, I've heard of him but the fight in the hanger bay's the closest I've ever been to him." She asked, and he paused in the hallway and folded his arms, his helmet held in one hand.

Rex couldn't help but smile momentarily at her question. "They were able to grab him on Naboo, when he was trying to kidnap a force sensitive child." Rex explained and her eyebrows raised in shock.

"_That's _what this is about? What, he's trying to round up a bunch of children? That's just messed up." Kai said, shocked at the news and pressed further. "Like, little kids?"  
Rex nodded. "Yeah, pretty young." He saw her face harden a little and he put a hand on her shoulder. "They're going to be alright. The child on Naboo is safe and we'll get them all back." He reassured her and she took a deep breath. "You care about kids a lot, don't you?" He asked, and Kai nodded.

"Yeah, I do. Kids are just so innocent, yet they always seem to be the ones that get hurt, and it just makes me...so angry."

Images flashed in her head, of children suffering under the tyranny of gangs, or killed by raids. "If I could, I'd make sure no child was ever hurt again.

Rex's eyes softened as he watched her. In the back of his mind, he realized it might be a good idea that she never went to Kamino. If she was this upset at civilian children, there was no saying how angry she would become if she saw their younger brothers, being trained to fight since they were toddlers.  
"They're going to find out where the rest of the children are, and we'll go from there." He gestured with his head. "I have to go down to the cells, but I will see you later." He said politely and she sighed a little and nodded.  
"Yeah, go. I'm fine. I'm going to go hit the mats for a while. Just keep me updated." Then she paused and looked embarrassed. "Well, you don't have to, so ignore that."  
Rex couldn't help but smile as she said that, and he gave her a small nod. "But of course, I will." Turning, his kama swinging, he made his way down the hall, feeling Kai's gaze on him the entire way.

The rest of the day passed with training and laughter as troopers filtered in and out of the training area.

What surprised her was that Rex kept her updated on what was happening.

_~Children located~_

_~Jedi to Rogue Antar System~ _

_~Children located on Mustafar~ _

As the messages pinged in she couldn't help but smile, feeling surprisingly warm towards the captain. He had absolutely _no _obligation or duty to send her these things, and she didn't even have a position in the GAR that required she know this, but she felt included as she and soldiers were updated together.

Included.

It had been a while since she'd felt that. Had she really become that distant and lonely since she'd been on her own?

Finally, it was time to sleep and she laid there for a while, faint refresher lights shining into the room and she heard two clones close to her talking about the next mission, making bets and calling maneuvers and she listened for a while, her eyes closed. Then she looked to her left and saw a trooper next to her named Ash, asleep and she sighed and rubbed her face before rolling onto her side. He was a good trooper, and his current state was what she _should _be doing.

As she closed her eyes, she heard a small whimper and she opened her eyes and saw Ash, a visible sheen of sweat visible in the dim light.

He made another noise and turned onto his side, and sounded like he was gasping for breath. She saw movement of another trooper looking up from his bed, but she looked down and suddenly _she_ was by the side of his bed. When had she gotten up? She didn't remember but all she knew was that she didn't want this clone to suffer.  
He gasped awake and seemed to stare right through her as his breath stuttered and she looked into his eyes.

"Hey, Ash you're ok." She said quietly and gently grabbed his hand and rubbed the back of it with her thumb. "You're ok. Just take some deep breaths."  
"B-bad dream. It was a bad dream." He mumbled as he closed his eyes and sucked in a breath and she ran her hand over his shoulder and over his hair, smoothing it away from his ears and forehead.

"I'm sorry, honey." She soothed and sat down on the edge of the bed and kept her hand on his shoulder. He held onto it tightly until his breathing leveled out and his grip loosened.

She went to get up, but he held onto her wrist and looked up, his eyes sparkling in the light, his face creased with sleep and fear. "Please don't go." He said quietly and she felt her heart clench.

Young faces popped into her mind, children's faces as he said that. She remembered the two little boys she often babysat back home, and he looked just like them in that moment.  
She paused for a moment and waved him to one side of the bed. "Here, scoot over."

He obeyed without question and she laid down next to him, her head higher than his and he scooted back over so his back was to her chest and she wrapped an arm around him and held on tightly. He kept a firm grip on her wrist until he started to fall asleep and she couldn't help but smile as she closed her own eyes and let sleep take her. Tomorrow was a big day.

0600.

She'd woken up after a decent night's sleep. Ash was wrapped around her and she had carefully extricated herself out from his arms and legs and without thinking she placed a soft kiss on his forehead. Then began her morning routine, and now she was here.

She received the next set of orders when the 501st was briefed on their next objective. They'd be going to an extremely dry planet, Geonosis. Kai had never been and from what she'd heard, she wasn't missing much.

Intel had told them that a droid factory was being built on there and their job was to destroy it and capture Poggle the Lesser. However, that feat would not be easy.  
It would require a large invasion, and four different Jedi generals would lead the assault. The goal would be to attack the shield generator that was protecting the factory with an attack from three sides. Kai would be flying with the 501st with General Skywalker and it surprised her that she would be flying in a gunship and be used as ground support, instead of air support like she'd thought.

The goal was the stop the factory and capture Poggle, and she felt confident with that number, that they could accomplish their goal.

She did realize however, that for once in her life, she was completely out of her element.

With the briefing over, the commanders and sergeants and troopers split to get their gear ready for battle and as they grew closer to the target she knew the ships were being prepped to exit hyperspace. She walked to the 501st armory and bunk room and she leaned against the doorframe and watched.

Troopers were polishing up their weapons and strapping on their armor, getting ready to get on the gunships and she looked around at them with guarded eyes.

She realized she had no idea what war was like, what it was exactly that these men faced every day. She knew what skirmishes were like, and even the effect of a gang's presence on a town or village, but she couldn't ignore the pit in her stomach that she felt when she realized she wasn't going to see some of these faces when the fighting was over.

Her gaze went from trooper to trooper and she felt surprised at the pang that went through her chest.

There was Ash, looking very refreshed from his night of good sleep and he joked and laughed with his close brother Shiner. The two were known for teaming up on the mats to take down other troopers, and they'd even tried besting ARC troopers while she was watching. They'd lost of course, but it was entertaining to watch.

There was Jay the silver haired, short tempered trooper, who preferred his caff with no sweetener, but who had one of the best listening ears she'd ever experienced. A frustrating night of anxiety was lessened as he sat on her bunk in the mainly empty room and let her talk.

Wave, with his buzzed head was focused on his Z-6 blaster and as he did with everything else, he cleaned it with precision.

There was Spark, with his double stripe after losing his entire squad his second mission. He didn't smile a lot, but she watched him care for the new troopers that entered their platoon.

And of course, Charger, his name coming from his ready-to-fight attitude already evident as he clasped another brother's hand, Ray by the look of it. Those two were inseparable

as well, and the masterminds behind many pranks.

And Keen, who she regarded with a smile. Not many troopers knew, but he was terrified of the dark, and it was only the snores and sounds of his brothers that soothed him enough to sleep. For that reason, he slept near the door, and she regarded him fondly.

She took a deep breath and shook her head as she stood up fully and she turned and walked down the hall. She had everything she needed, it was just at her ship and she could grab it easily when they loaded into the gunships, which by the sounds of it, was very soon. She heard the sounds of soldiers beginning to walk down the hallway and she looked up just in time to see Rex's familiar shoulder pauldron and kama.

She smiled up at him, but she hated how forced it felt. Her mind was beginning to think about how she may not see them when this was done, and she felt conflicted as to why she cared _so _much. Rex seemed to sense it and he stopped right in front of her.

"Hey, are you ok? he asked. "You seem tense…that's not like you. First battle like this?" He questioned her and she nodded. He removed his helmet and his amber eyes stared at her in concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just that…" she paused, not sure how to continue. She looked back up and Rex was staring at her patiently as he waited for her to get it out. "How many men are going to make it back from this? Are we going to lose a lot?"

Rex's face hardened and his face grew sad, something she hadn't ever seen on him before. It made him look so tired, and worn.

"If we're lucky, less than half. But we can only plan for what we _think_ the landings will be like. It's never as easy as we plan for it to be. But we're going to do our best to get as many men down there and back as possible." He sighed, suddenly sounding very tired and Kai regretted asking him the question in the first place. "But it's war, and we have to be willing to pay the price for the system we believe in."  
Kai shrugged a little bit as he said that. "I get that, I do. I just feel like I've barely gotten to know the men, and I really like all of you. You're kind and respectful and funny. Is it going to be like this every time?" She asked and he put his hand back on her shoulder, the warmth and weight comforting to her. She looked at it and then at him, and then he smiled just a tiny bit and tightened his hold.

"You've got a good heart, Kai. The men realize that and appreciate it more than I think you'll ever understand. I don't know that most people in the galaxy give a second thought, or a first thought for that matter, to whether we live or die. To them we're clones, and we're expendable pieces in a war. To have someone care about us, as individuals, the way you do, that means more than words can express."  
His cheeks darkened as he heard himself say those words and Kai took a deep breath before placing her hand on his for a moment, not saying anything. His hand was warm and she was amazed at how connected she felt to him for only being here for a short time.

They stayed like that for just a moment, the ship quiet around them and she was sure her breathing and heartbeat was the only audible sound. She closed her eyes and looked away before she looked back at him with determination in her eye. "Well, you aren't expendable to me, and I'd convince everyone of that if I could." She glared, and he tried to protest and she quieted him. "I'm going to get as many of you home as I can, I promise." She didn't know how, but she was going to try.

Rex smiled when she said that, and he stepped a little closer. He opened his mouth to say something when his comm beeped and that sound startled the mood that had settled over the hall and he cleared his throat and stepped back. "Thank you, Kai. Pardon I need to take this."  
She blushed. "Of course." She stood back as well and nodded before going to her ship and pulling out the necessary equipment she would need for a fight.

She strapped on her pistol, slung her rifle over her shoulder and slid her knife into the sheath on her leg. She paused with her hand over the compact backpack holding a few medpacks. It wasn't the best, but it had some basic items for injuries. Surely there weren't enough medics to go around completely. She thought for a moment and then strapped it on tight to her back and walked out into the hallway and down into the hanger bay. The sounds of gunships engines reverberated through the hanger and she walked over to where she saw everyone. She smiled and waved as Kix made eye contact with her, and he immediately saw the medpack and seemed grateful.

"You're trained in field medicine?" he asked, and she shrugged a little.

"I mean, I know the basics. I know how to keep someone from dying." She stated and looked at him. "I'll need more official training if this is a success."  
He laughed a little and grabbed a few things from his own backpack and slid them in. "Coagulant and pain reliever. You should have some bone stabilizers as well and some splints." He slid in some from his own pack as well. "Do you need wrapping?" He asked and she shook her head. "No, I know I have some of those, and bacta."  
He shook his head and slid in some canisters. "Bacta spray" he explained. "Good for head trauma if helmets get cracked. Different than the patches."  
She kept herself from swallowing as she imaged what would have to happen to crack the sturdy helmets they all wore.

She saw General Skywalker come up with Ahsoka next to him and he smiled at his captain.

"We all ready, Rex?" He asked and Rex nodded as he slid on his helmet and grabbed an overhead strap.

"Yes sir. General Kenobi is already underway." He replied and Kai couldn't help but grin at the competitive look that settled over Skywalker's face. He was brash and competitive but the men had told her story after story of him putting himself in danger to help them. He seemed like an excellent leader and friend to his men.

"Well he's got a head start. We'll have to catch up." He replied and the gunship lifted off and she couldn't help but feel a nervous pounding in her chest as she held tight to her own strap.

She was entering a battle. She accepted this job and everything that went with it. Why did this feel so much bigger? It was, to be sure, but how did she end up fighting in a war, that she hadn't cared about most of her life?  
Rex handed over a comm and gestured to his wrist. "So, we can keep in contact with the generals and the rest of the force." She smiled at a little at him. As she took it.  
"Ah, great, thank you." She snapped it into place and let herself and her thoughts fall silent, the sounds of the engine all she could hear.  
She knew they'd entered the atmosphere when she heard the sound of large cannon rounds being fired and the ship jostled as the pilots dogged the oncoming assault.

She swallowed nervously and planted her feet more steadily as they flew and she clenched her fist, and saw some of the other troopers shuffle as well.

She looked over and gave them a thumbs up and a wink. "Let's do this, boys." She said, surprising herself with how enthusiastic she sounded, and one of them laughed in return.

Kai, very quickly found out how quickly things move in a battle.

One moment she was standing there, palms sweating and the next moment it felt as though they'd rammed right into something and been knocked out of hyperspace.

There was dust and smoke in the air, accompanied by smell of something burning. She coughed and squinted and the entire side of the ship was on fire, the sound of an alarm screaming shrilly as they lost altitude.

She could see through the slats and she watched as another transport was hit and the entire thing exploded into flames.

Between their descending gunship and her own brain fog, she somehow saw that in slow motion. That was an entire gunship of troopers that just got shot down. They all died, just like that and there was nothing the rest of the force could do for them.

_What in galaxy's name _had she signed up for?  
Her thoughts were shoved out of her head as they slammed into the ground and she barely managed to keep hold of the loop at the top of the gunship but she stumbled and her face hit into another trooper's breastplate and she grunted. They jolted and careened to a stop and she coughed through the dust and smoke.

"Is this a normal occurrence" She thought to herself and then Skywalker lifted off the entire door of the gunship.

"Come on!" He yelled. "Get up! We have to keep moving."

They all filed out and readied their blasters and she slung the gun off her shoulder and adjusted her sight.

"Here they come!" Charger yelled and she looked through the scope. Holy _kriff _those bugs were ugly, she thought as she took aim and pulled the trigger.

Her shots hit home as she took shot after shot, but it was hard to aim the through sand and debris kicked up by the continuous onslaught of enemy fire.

It felt like all of her senses were on overload, yet somehow, she knew she'd get used to it. She would maybe have to try combat simulations on base to try and get used to all the noise.

She spotted through her scope the bunkers the Geonosians shot through and they looked to be good cover and she stored that away for further use.

"They're falling back. Come on!" Ahsoka yelled, her voice surprisingly rough for such a young woman, but it was filled with command.

Kai scrambled up to the top of the trench and ran a short distance to another one and slid in before crouching with a few other clones. Rex and the Jedi debated something in heated voices, and she wiped the sweat from her forehead.

She looked over and wiped her eyes, staring into a black visor right in front of her. A quick glance at his armor hold her that this is a shiny, a term she picked up from some of the veterans. This was a new trooper, and this was most likely his first battle. She didn't even know his designation.

"You holding up?" he asked, and she nodded and clasped his outstretched hand tightly as she held back a smile. _He _was asking _her _how she was holding up.

"I had no idea it was like this." She admitted, raising her voice to be heard above the noise.

The clone laughed and popped up to fire off a round of shots and she saw some of the enemy fire decrease.

He shouted at her. "Just keep firing and we'll make it out of-"

She felt heat and saw red, and a blaster shot hit his upper chest and he crumpled to the ground.

She hadn't even seen it coming.

"_Trooper!" _She yelled as she dragged him to where she was, thanking Ozan for teaching her

basic first aid. She bent over him and put her fingers right under the lip of his helmet where his

pulse would be. Check his pulse, then get a bacta patch on that blaster wound. He might just

make it out, if she acted fast enough.

But there was no pulse.

No.

She stared at his helmet and she hitched in a breath as she pulled his helmet off, his

amber eyes starting sightlessly up at the hazy sky.

No. It wasn't supposed to be like this. She was supposed to train them and they were

supposed to make it back. The conversation with Rex came screaming back into her head,

shoving all other thoughts away.

"_Are we going to lose a lot?" "If we're lucky, less than half." _

"_It's war. We have to be willing to pay the price." _

"_We're just clones." _

"_We're expendable pieces in a war." _

Kai had seen death, brought it to many bounties, but somehow in the middle of all the dust and

sand and dirt, something changed for her.

It wasn't supposed to be like this.


	14. Chapter 14

(A/N: Thanks y'all for your patience I appreciate it. And I hope my tired brain edited out any bad grammar issues. I'm trying to get on top of that. I promise y'all I can do this! Enjoy!)

_(Geonosis, Present Time) _

Kai had never realized how hot and loud a battlefield really was.

She knelt on the ground, holding the trooper in her arms when her shoulder was touched, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"We need to go, now." Another trooper, Jay by the looks of it, urged her and she felt her hold on the dead clone tighten.

"But I can't…I can't leave him." She argued and he sighed and hung his head for a moment and he crouched down to her level.

"If we stay, we'll be the same as him. We need to go with the General and Commander Tano. There's a barrier to our west that we have to get over, but we need to leave." He urged, and she hated that she knew he was right.

If they stayed where they were, the enemy would move in and sweep the area, killing them all.  
But it felt so _wrong _to leave him, to leave all of them, to just leave their bodies in the hot sun.

She slid the trooper's helmet back on gently and lowered him to the ground. She grabbed her rifle, and swiped at her eyes angrily as she stood. It was just the dust, of course. That was why her eyes were burning. It had nothing to do with the death she had just witnessed.

"_Why would it bother me? I've seen death my whole life. This is nothing new." _She thought to herself.  
He put his hand on her shoulder and silently helped her up after a moment, and when General Skywalker gave the word they emerged out of their cover, and began running.

They entered a small canyon with steep walls on each side, and the sounds of their boots echoed in the confined space.

She saw General Skywalker come to a stop and they all took a moment to stare breathlessly up at the wall. It was a lot taller than she had thought it would be, and there were turrets all along the upper edge. Turrets that were currently pointed right at them.

"Careful, _careful!_" She heard a trooper call out, just as a rain of laser fire shot down at them, forcing them to split and run for cover, a couple of the clones falling to the ground before they made it to safety.

Kai dove for her own cover and stared at them helplessly at fire rained down next to them.

It couldn't be like this, every single time, could it?

She crouched next to the general, the commander, and a few clones including Rex.

"Well this is another _fine _mess you've gotten us into." Commander Tano spit out sarcastically to her master as she looked back out over her shoulder.

"What?" General Skywalker shot back, having the audacity to sound _surprised _and it made Kai raise an eyebrow as she stared at Rex's visor for a moment. "It's not my fault. You were supposed to study the holo-maps."  
"I _did!_" Ahsoka argued back, and Kai couldn't believe they were arguing a time like this. And the clones, including Rex, acted like it was normal. It wasn't normal to her, but she had to admit it was amusing.

"Remember, when I reminded you about the _giant_ _wall_" Ahsoka gestured at the object in question, "and you said "Don't worry, Snips. We won't be anywhere near that." She leveled a gaze at her master and Kai bit back a small smile.

Skywalker just rolled his eyes and pointed to a nearby rock wall. "Just get ready to climb."

Kai looked up at the wall and over at Rex, and gave a small amused grin.

She and another clone got Skywalker and Ahsoka the bags of explosives and Skywalker instructed Rex on what to do as he slid the pack on.  
They were to lay down cover fire and be ready when the Jedi took down the wall, and Kai crouched in anticipation and readied her gun, and began firing up at the droids and turrets as the Jedi ran for the wall.

The shots vibrated through her gun, the dust thick in the air, and once again, she couldn't help but remember the clone that had died right in front of her.

She hadn't even known his name.

She heard a shout of pain and saw a clone stumble back, his shoulder armor smoking, and she swung her gun onto her shoulder and jumped out briefly into the laser fire to drag him back. She laid him on his back and she slid off her backpack, opening the clasps.

Kriff it, she _was _going to be able to help this one. She wouldn't allow any other option this time.

She grabbed a bacta patch from the kit and inspected the wound. It looked like the plastoid of his armor had melted slightly and the black's underneath were singed.

She had him unclip his breastplate for a moment and she slipped a bacta patch over the wound after she tore a larger hole in his blacks. "This is going to have to do for now. Hopefully your armor will hold it in place." She kept a careful eye on the battle and turned back to the trooper.  
"Thank you." He said, his voice still carrying strength and she nodded as he picked up his blaster, heavily favoring his uninjured arm.  
After a moment of observing the battlefield again, she realized she no longer saw Rex and she searched the ground with her breath held. But as she looked she realized she couldn't see him.

"Where's the captain?" She yelled out to another trooper and he gestured with the butt of his gun at the wall.

"He went to help the generals." He responded and she squinted, not seeing him but trusting the clone's words.

Apparently, they were to just keep firing and she focused the majority of her shots on the wall turrets.

She watched with her breath held however, as the Jedi jumped off the wall, Rex with them and she felt herself panic.

None of them had a jetpack, and the landing would be too far. It would kill them all of them.

They must have left the explosives in one place at the top of the wall because she saw the explosion blossom out from one spot, and massive pieces of rock came crashing down, stopping the battle completely. She coughed and shielded her eyes, but dust still made it in and she swiped at them with a piece of her shirt.

She was very confused yet extremely relieved when she saw them and the three of them were standing and talking and all seemed well. She shook her head, confused on how they survived but grateful none the less. She'd have to ask Rex about it later.

She was surprised at how grateful she was that he was alive. Did one conversation with him in the hallway really change that much about how she felt about him?

That was unfortunately something she couldn't focus on right now. Since they'd managed to breach the wall, they could now travel to Obi Wan's position and she adjusted her backpack and came up to a clone with seemed to have a lagging step.

"You alright?" She asked, as put her arm around his waist and helped him walk. She could feel him breathing heavily and he automatically leaned on her.

"Nah not really, I took a blaster shot to the leg, and it's burning something fierce right now." He complained and she immediately looked around and found a boulder for cover near the other side of the wreckage and she knelt and commed Rex.

"I need to patch this trooper up and we'll be right behind you, I promise." She explained and his voice came through her comm. He sounded tired, but in control and confident.  
"Get him fixed up as quickly as you can. I'll leave a few men behind. You will need to hurry, but if you can't catch up, here's the coordinates we will meet at." He told her and she nodded and turned to the clone's leg as her gauntlet flashed orange, indicating his sent message.

"What's your name, soldier?" She asked and slid off his helmet, a well-trimmed standard haircut greeting her.

"CT- 4444." He said and she smiled and shook her head as she opened her pack and went to work unclipping his leg armor.  
"No, not your designation, your name. You have one, right?" She asked, and lifted the plate and saw the burns and she winced a little at how deep it was. She set the plate on the ground and got into her pack's pocket and pulled out bacta gel and a patch and cut his blacks away from the wound. She worried about the chafing that might occur but she was making do at this point.

Her movements made the clone gasp in pain and he gripped the rock next to him. She carefully treated the area, and gave him a shot for pain in the neck. "That should help." She said quietly and he gasped and shook his head at the medication. "So, a name?" She pushed and looked up at him.

"Don't…have a name yet. Don't know when I'll get...one." He ground out, his jaw clenching and unclenching as the pain reliever took effect.

She smiled and gently put the leg plate back in place and held his hand, smoothing her thumb over the back of it as she thought. He relaxed at the touch, just like Ash had and he watched her with a calmer expression.

"Hm, what about Char?" she asked, and ran a finger over his shin plate and gestured to his breastplate with a sooty finger. "You know, like when you use wood for a fire, and there's black dust all over the surface? You have enough soot on your armor to earn that nickname, and you're going to have an impressive burn scar on your leg."  
He seemed to think about it, and his eyes flicked back and forth at his surrounding brothers, before he grinned. "Heh, char. That's not too bad you know that? But I want two r's, not just one. You were talking about just one, right?" He pushed and she smiled back.  
"Yeah, I think I can manage that." She waved another trooper over and grinned as she recognized Spark.

"Hey, can you help me with Char with two r's here?" She asked and he came over and handed her his blaster rifle and scooped up Charr and lifted his arm over his shoulder, and they started walking.

"Charr huh? That fits pretty well, vod." He complimented, making Charr smile and she tossed him the helmet. He caught it and slipped it on but she caught how proud he was.

"Thanks brother." He said quietly and fell into step with them and a couple other clones she didn't quite now yet. They introduced themselves as Panik and Trigger and she smirked at their chaotic names and wondered how in the galaxy they'd landed those ones.  
"So, do all the generals the names you chose? I know Anakin does, but if they're not your commanding officer…." She trailed off and Spark shrugged as they walked through the rocks.

"From what I've experienced, yes. We introduce ourselves first with our designation and then sometimes our names, and then they seem to use our names if given the option." He explained as they walked and Kai hummed and thought.

She'd never thought about what it would be like to have to earn your name, or be given one. She'd just had her name that her parents choose from the time she was born and she'd never given in a second thought.

But the names meant so much more to the clones and she felt like she understood why. It made them feel different, and unique. It made them stand out from the rest of their brothers that walked, talked and looked like them.

They managed to make excellent time, and they finally caught back up to Rex and the rest of the squadron just as they broke into a trot and she threw back a glance at Charr. "No rest for the weary...or the injured." she teased and she saw him take a few test steps on his own and he waved her away. He started running as well and he seemed to be doing fine.

"Eh, go tease someone else. I'm ready to fight and not injured at all." He protested and she snorted and rolled her eyes just as she heard General Skywalker's lightsaber ignite, a relatively new sound for her. It took some getting used to, but it usually signified danger.

She looked beyond everyone and up the rise, several flying figures fell to the ground below in flames. They were locals of the planet, and she was confused until she saw the blue lightsaber of General Mundi. Ah, so he had taken a detour through the caves, obviously to meet them in this position. Now everything was making sense.

"Master Mundi, do you read me?" Skywalker asked through his comm, his voice hard and rough.

"We are here, Skywalker. We took a detour that put us out of communications for a bit." Mundi responded and Anakin laughed a little before responding.

"Today has been a day for detours, Master." And Kai had to agree as she listened. She had been informed of the plan like the rest of the troopers before the missions started and so far, everyone had landed in different spots than they meant to, except for Obi Wan and Commander Cody. Walls had been breached, and caves traveled, so yes, today was indeed a day for detours.

She listed to Mundi's instructions along with Skywalker and he relayed to them he could now see the landing zone. He warned them that the area didn't all too good and they would need to proceed with caution.

Kai took the short time they had for a break, to guzzle down some water and she cracked open a ration bar she had stowed in her back and chewed with a sigh.  
She felt hot, sweaty and covered in sand, and she desperately wished for a shower, but that didn't look like it was going to be anywhere near in her future.

If Ozan could see her now…she shook her head fondly. He was probably just resting easy in the prison, lifting weights and catching up on all those naps he used to complain that he never got.

Either that or he was going stir crazy and would find some way out of there sooner rather than later. Maybe when he did, she could ask the Jedi and the Chancellor to pardon him of any crimes, and let her work with him. She missed just the two of them doing what he'd taught her. She was dragged out of her thoughts as they started to move again. They had contacted Admiral Yularen for air support and he had managed to give them the one squadron he had available, which improved their chances.

They joined forces with Mundi's platoons and ran across the hot dry ground until they reached Obi Wan's position and her gaze was immediately pulled to all the injured troopers on the ground and she pulled away and ran up to a medic. She recognized the symbol but not the armor but she asked anyway.

"Do you need help with the wounded?" She asked, talking loud over the sounds of the battle and he seemed grateful.

"Yes! I need them out of harm's way and behind tanks or in gunships." He replied and she got to work.

The air support took the majority of the heat off of them, but the battle was still intense, and the ground rumbled underneath her feet as she worked by his side. She hurried to get them patched up and she learned on the fly how to treat battle injuries, and the learning curve was _kriffin' _steep.

Thankfully, his voice was calm despite what was happening and she saw the calming effect on his brothers. Surely that was a medic thing, and she wanted to learn how to do that.

She bandaged large cuts that were in between armor plates and learned how to hold let the troops hold onto her in pain, and how to maneuver them. She learned how to splint broken limbs and how to apply bacta more efficiently than she had her entire life.

She learned the difference between chunks of shrapnel you could pull out and those you didn't.

She learned a medical term for things she'd seen her entire life, like blast lung or crush injuries, which the latter was from pilots stuck in their cockpits while the former happened if troopers left their helmets off or had them knocked off.

She learned that despite the helmets, sometimes the pressure of being close to a blast caused internal ear and eardrum damage, and she learned to treat it.

She learned the signs of head trauma and internal damage, and her head felt like it was swimming by the time the fire lifted from overhead and they were able to plan the next stage of attack. She thudded onto her backside and sat on the ground, and leaned her head against some crates, taking some deep breaths, the left-over adrenaline making her hands shake.

She saw a trooper walk up and take his helmet off and she smiled at Jay. "Hey." She said quietly.

He smiled and handed her a hydro pack and she sucked it down without a word and hummed her thanks when she placed it on the ground.

"Ray said you did a real good job patching the boys up." He said, his brown eyes watching her as he tilted his head.

She smiled and felt her cheeks light up a little bit and she waved him away.

"I'm pretty sure I was just more in the way than anything else but I appreciate it. My head feels like soup now. I thought I knew everything about split second decisions, but I guess it makes a world of difference if your goal is to end the person or to save them." She shrugged and he sat down next to her and placed a hand on her knee, his silver hair catching the light.

"No. You did good. Ray doesn't compliment many people, but he knew you had limited experience. The most important thing is that you wanted to help. Just accept the compliment, okay? You did good." He lectured and she rolled her eyes and looked away to where multiple gunships were taking off.

"Alright, alright." She conceded and he grinned at her, a rare sight, before the sounds of a briefing reached them and they turned and listened.

They would combine their forces to complete their main objective thus far, which was taking out the shield generator. General Skywalker would take a squad through the shield and then take out the gun emplacements and jam the signal going out, so that Mundi's tanks couldn't be targeted.

The wounded were evaced via gunship and the rest of the squadrons and platoons formed up and joined with their tanks and headed in their respective directions.  
She found Ray and stopped him and look up into his helmet. "Thanks for teaching today. It was very kind of you." She told him and he put a hand on her shoulder and nodded.

"Don't thank me. The boys needed more help than I could give. You saved lives. So, I should be thanking _you._" With that, he turned and walked away and she thought about those words on the way back to her squadron. She had saved lives today. She had seen too many troopers fall during the firefights and she hadn't known what to do. Somehow the sting of losing the few that she couldn't save was lessened by being able to help the ones she could.

After reaching the planned position, all they had to do was wait for General Mundi's command and when he gave it, she ran after Ashoka and dodged incoming fire. She saw a blast coming and grabbed the trooper's arm and dove to the left, and she felt the heat from the impact.

"Thanks!" He called out as they kept running and she shouted back, tasting sand.  
"You're welcome. What's your name?" She asked and he tossed back the answer after firing off a couple shots.

"Names Tagg. You're Kai, right?" She nodded in response and as they split to run around a boulder she grinned as she saw him meet up with her again.

"Let's do this, Kai." He cheered and she laughed at his energy and the surprising spring in his step. Wasn't he _tired? _  
"You first, trooper!" They made it up to the gun emplacements and the Jedi tossed up droid poppers, or EMP grenades as she knew them, and it shorted out the scanners. When that happened, she watched as heavy fire from the tanks took out the guns and lifted the shield generator, toppling the disk along with the spire.

It was a mess of boulders and crashes and thuds, that shook her entire body.

"You now, if someone had told me that battle was this loud," Kai shouted "I would have worn some ear plugs."  
Tagg laughed and knocked on the side of his helmet where his ears were. "Why do you think we were issued these?" He talked over the sound of the gunship. "Looks like it's time for you to get one."

When the gunship landed they were able to surround the remaining enemy forces and this part of the battle ended.

She leaned against a rock and watched as the rest of the wounded were loaded on stretchers and the gunships Mundi brought in were heavily loaded with troopers. The generals Obi-wan and Mundi went with their troops, their injuries warranting a well-earned rest.

She unzipped her jacket and slid it off, shaking off the dust and sand. It created quite the impressive cloud and she dropped it onto a rock.

She placed her rifle to the side alone with her backpack and she frowned at the diminished supplies. As she stared at the bag she heard footsteps walk up and she titled her head at the clone.

She grinned a little, recognizing the helmet and he smiled back with a wave.

"Hey Fives..." She replied tiredly. "Where's Echo?"  
He gestured behind him. "He's right behind me. You're looking a little pale. You ok?" He asked, and she shrugged before sliding her jacket back on, even though it was hot enough to fry a steak outside.

She had gone out drinking to the clone bar, alone one night, and she met up with two of the 501st best soldiers. She had started training with them and she sincerely enjoyed their company and hadn't expected to become friends, but it had happened anyway.

Fives was witty and smart, and a massive flirt with most of the girls he saw, herself included but he also said he knew she like the captain. How he knew, she had no idea, but he wouldn't accept her denial no matter how straightforward she was.

Echo was just as smart and sarcastic as his brother but his humor was quieter, subtler. You had to watch for it, but often times it was more drastic than his squamate's.

They also made a fantastic team on the mats. They had come from Domino squad, they told her, so they were more than used to fighting side by side, and she could see how close they were.

As she thought back to that night, she remembered getting drunk, just enough to loosen her tongue, and they had talked about a lot that night. Their conversation ranged from her job to why she had joined the GAR in the first place. They talked about their experience as troopers and what it was like for them in a civilian crowd and she remembered feeling angry at the treatment they'd received.

So, due to the conversation that had lasted into the night and subsequent conversations late at night after reports or eating at the mess or standing in the hallway they had become closer.

She enjoyed being around them and they were easy to talk to. She had seen them before the mission had started but had never managed to say hello or see how they were doing and they had gone in a separate gunship.

Such was the way of battles it seemed. She was just surprised at the shock of relief she felt at seeing his face and knowing his brother was alright too.

"I don't know, Fives." She said quietly and shook her head and looked down at her hands. Everyone seemed to be taking a short breather, eating rations and getting hydrated, the Jedi included so she felt fine to talk. "I signed on for this job because I thought I'd just be training you know? I thought I could just work with you guys, fly some missions and I don't know..." She breathed out heavily. "I don't know what I was expecting, what I signed up for. I should have asked, and I should have gotten more details. I just know I didn't sign up for…. this." She gestured to the last gunship taking off, loaded with wounded.

"It reminds me of what happened to my village and it _hurts. _ Everyone was just killed and I couldn't do anything, and now troopers get shot right in front of me, "She gestured with her hands. "And all I can do is fekking _watch._" She spat out and felt her eyes burn and she frowned up at him.

"There was trooper at the very beginning, telling me it was going to be ok and he was killed before I could say a word in response. We've had to leave troops out there" she gestured with her hand. "and they are going to die, alone." She shook her head.  
"I don't know what I signed up for, but it wasn't this." She finished angrily and swiped at her face.

He sat down next to her and fiddled with his helmet. "Why do you stay then?" He asked, and she looked over with a frown. "What?"  
"Why do you stay?" He repeated and set his helmet down. "I'm sure you could find a job, somewhere, and avoid the Republic, not get arrested. You're smart. You could leave, and live your own life. But you don't. I think you accepted this because they promised amnesty and all you had to do was fight fort them and teach some shinies how to throw some better punches. So why don't you go?"  
Kai felt the sweat drip down her neck but she thought about how to answer.

"Because I don't want to be alone." She said quietly, knowing within a second what her answer was, and she was surprised at how insightful Fives really was. "I don't think I could go back to being alone again." She shook her head.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and didn't realize Echo had joined their conversation. "Well, it's a good thing that you're not alone. You're with us. You're going to make it, Kai. I promise."  
She saw Rex walk up as they talked and she immediately in habit looked at Fives and gave him a tiny glare and he smirked back.  
"We're moving out, men let's go" Then he paused. "Are you ok, Kai?"  
_"What in galaxy's name does my face look like, if everyone keeps asking that_" Kai wondered to herself.

"She's just struggling with first battle troubles." Fives offered and she tried not to glower as he outed her.  
Apparently, Rex understood and he slid his helmet off and stared down at her and extended a hand to help her stand.  
She heard Fives made a small sound of approval and she ignored him and took it, her legs protesting for a moment. "You were right Captain, you do lose a lot." She sighed and his eyes narrowed a bit with sympathy and he clenched his jaw and looked back at her.

"It's not always this bad. This was just a massive invasion and those…" He took a deep breath before continuing. "are never easy. They always come with a cost."

She picked up her bag and waved for Fives and Echo to join her and she walked next to Rex and looked up at him.  
"And are _you _alright?" She asked, as she thought about what he said and he shook his head a little and pulled himself out of his thoughts.  
"I'll just be glad when this battle is over." He told her with a small smile and his hand brushed hers lightly as they walked.  
She felt herself smile a little wider and she brushed his hand back and he looked at her in shock. Was he serious? Surely, he hadn't done such an action on _accident. _  
"What?" She shot back with a tiny smile. "If you want to hold my hand, you know you can just ask."  
She heard Fives snicker behind her and Rex glared at him which only made him laugh harder, and she heard Echo trying to quiet him, probably trying to get out of cleaning the refresher for the next rotation.

"You know, I have an idea." Kai offered and Rex inhaled before looking down at her. He looked like a man facing a rabid loth cat and it made her chest lighter.  
"Please, do tell." He grit his teeth with some embarrassment and she stepped closer and tapped his chest plate with a burst of newfound confidence, the plastoid solid under her finger.  
"Let me take you out for a drink when we get back. It'll be my treat. A date, as the civvies call it" she replied, well aware she was viewed as a civilian herself by the clones. She held her breath as she waited for him to respond. Rayfe had always told her confidence paid off, but that didn't make this any easier, didn't make the moments of silence any easier.

She watched his cheeks redden just a touch and then he gave a nod, and she heard Fives give a gasp like they were in some sort of holo-soap opera.

She turned her head and stuck her tongue out before looking back at Rex. "Really, Captain?"  
"I'd love to." He clarified simply and she smiled before removing her hand from his chest plate and walked backwards. He watched her for a moment, his brain a mess of thoughts but then he felt himself give her an unplanned, yet real smile. He slid his helmet on and turned to walk away, feeling her eyes on him.

She watched him go, still in shock that he'd actually said yes. She had no idea, that he felt the same. She had thought he'd say no, that he had too much to do, or that he didn't have the time, but he'd said yes.

She still hated the fact that they had lost so many men, and that this whole campaign wasn't over yet, but talking to Fives and Echo had helped and seeing that her attraction to Rex wasn't just one sided made her heart just a little lighter.

Maybe that was the secret, looking for the small good things in life.


	15. Chapter 15

(CW: Not anything too drastic. Some anxious thoughts and that's about it.)

_(Flashback) _

(three years later)

In all fairness it was understandable why Kai was so worried about Ozan, but it really hadn't been needed. Despite the dramatic experience that had led to Ozan's injury, he survived and barely walked with a limp now. She should have known that a simple _explosion _was not enough to take out the tough fighter that her adopted father was.

They'd managed to get him to a medical station and with a bacta soaks, he had been fine two weeks later. It had cost them a pretty penny, not nearly as good a favor as Rayfe would have liked, but it was good enough for them. They were all used to just surviving. Luxury, and things always working out just wasn't their style.

Two months later they were back on their familiar grind of finding their targets and eliminating them or turning them in and Kai had to admit she was comfortable. Her _life_ was comfortable.

Three months after that was the first time Rayfe had tried to hold her hand, and she had let him. That made him very happy, just that small thing and Kai always used it to tease him. It was also around this time that Ozan started automatically shopping for food and supplies for Rayfe as well. He said it was because he was part of the crew. He just expected him to put in work as well. If he didn't bring in his share, and do his part on the missions, he would buy his own food. But Kai knew gruff yet affectionate care when she saw it.

Two and a half months after that, he had kissed her, and they hadn't talked about it for another month. Finally, Ozan's griping about the uncomfortable air of the ship made them talk about it, and after a long discussion, and communication of feelings, something difficult for the both of them, they had decided that perhaps a relationship was a feasible option.

So, they had been in a relationship for two years plus some months and Kai basked in the feeling of being complete with her small family.

She had Ozan and A-6 and now she had Rayfe. And her heart seemed to heal just the slightest bit more every day.

Of course, she missed her mother more than words could describe but she had Ozan, a strong and steady influence in her life. Someone that made her feel safe, and protected, but someone who always encouraged her to cling to what her mom had taught her. He said it's what his wife would have said. That's what he told her. Every time. He was there for her, more than anyone in his position would have been. Sometimes she forgot he bought her, that they didn't just run into each other and decide become a family.

And then she had Rafye. He was someone who made her laugh, and made her feel like she was attractive and wanted and she was constantly grateful for that. She had someone who felt like a best friend, someone she could have adventures with, someone she trusted with her life. She felt like she had found her other half, the person that completed her.

Currently they were on a mission in the lower levels of Coruscant, to capture the branch leader a spice cartel that had caused chaos to the surrounding areas. They had the unfortunate need to avoid the local forces at the same time, because the local police force didn't see the difference between a cartel leader and a bounty hunter.

Rayfe was in his usual spot of observance from upper building ledges, his broader frame surprisingly lithe on the edges.

Kai took to the rooftops, while Ozan scoured the ground. They were hot on the man's trail, only off by approximately half a block, but they were confident they could capture him and evade capture themselves.

Kai jumped off the top of one building and rolled to a stand and kept running, her gun swinging against her hip and leg. She pressed her comm and talked into it, barely winded. "Ozan, I can't see his path. I know where he is. Do you have a visual?"  
A message popped up on her comm from Rayfe at the same time. - _Nearby police forces_-.

Kriffing-, how were they going to avoid _that? _They could go around, but that would take too long and the man would gain his own ground and lose them in the streets. "And now there's the police to deal with. What's your call?"  
"I'll join you up top. Avoid detection, but follow him. He couldn't have gotten far. Both of you keep watch." He responded. She saw him take a turn to scale the building and she couldn't help but warn him.

"You've got police really close to that direction." His grumble made her very aware that he already knew that and she chuckled while adjusting her blaster as she jogged. They were nearly there. They almost had their money, and then they could get out of here.

Meanwhile, in the direction she had warned him about, two people were having a late-night conversation.  
"What are _you_ doing when you get off shift tonight?" Karya asked as she looked at her fellow officer.

Jaz shrugged and kicked a can, watching it clatter down the street. "I'm not sure. Probably hang out with the kids and my wife. Maybe go out to eat. We haven't done that in a long time. You need to get out too. You hang out at home too much. Skip the holonet for one night."

Karya scoffed. "Oh whatever, you're just saying that because—" She was about to continue when she saw two faint shadows of figures on the roof. Probably some local ruffians, but that was still illegal activity. And stopping illegal activity was her job.  
"Hey you!" she called. "Stop!" Of course, they didn't, in fact they sped up, but she had to say it anyway.

Jaz's head jerked up and his eyes widened. "What, do we have someone?"  
She nodded. "Yes! Let's go!" She began running for their individual speeders. "Disorderly conduct, maybe more. We need to follow them. Call back up from a few streets over!" She hopped on her speeder and the lights began flashing. "Well cut them off at the square."

Kai stopped jogging and looked down at Ozan, and spoke into her comm. They'd been running but now the authorities were after them, making this a thousand times more complicated. "What do we do? Do we keep chasing him or do we run? We need to get out of here, but there's sirens from both directions."  
Ozan shook his head. "You and Rayfe need to circle back around to the ship." He into an alley and shook his head. "You need to go now."  
Kai glared in his direction and completely abandoned the mission when he said those words, which she would berate herself for later. She'd never done that before. She hopped down off the building and stormed over to him, acutely aware that the sirens were getting louder. "_We _need to leave?" She grabbed onto his arm and tried to pull him but he didn't budge.

She heard Rayfe running up behind her and she looked behind her in surprise. How had he gotten down so fast? That didn't matter. She glared at Ozan for a moment and shook her head.  
"And where are you going to be? You're going to come with us." She commanded, and he looked at her fondly for a moment before answering and removing her hand from his arm.

"I'll be the distraction. They can't chase us in two different directions. Not in their group like that. It's the best option."  
She looked at him for a moment. A distraction. He'd never used that tactic before. He….no, he wouldn't. He wouldn't dare to that to her.

She narrowed her eyes, hearing Rayfe's breathing next to her and she could feel his eyes on her. "You're going to give yourself up, aren't you? You want to be a distraction, so you get caught and we don't." She accused him and he sighed and nodded before straightening his jacket and his scarf.

The sirens were only a couple blocks away now, and she knew they only had a few moments left.

"Yes. I am. I have lived a good life, and you are still young, my daughter. You need to stay out and free. Please, go. Let me do this for you." He instructed her, and his eyes sparkled down at her, their depths full of kindness and wisdom.

She shook her head, her lip trembling as her eyes began to burn. "N-no, I can't lose you. I can't lose you too. Not again…" She whispered, her chest aching as if someone was stabbing it. She couldn't lose Ozan. It had hurt _so _much when she'd lost her mother, and she knew she couldn't do it again.

Ozan didn't reply, but all he did was put a gentle hand on her shoulder and tip her chin up with his other hand.

"You take care of my ship while I'm in, ok?" Ozan said gently, holding her shoulder as she worked in vain to keep the tears off her face. "Trust me, I'll be fine. I need a break anyway. I'm getting tired. I could use the rest."

They both tried their hardest to ignore the sounds of sirens heralding the approach of the authorities. If Ozan was caught, here on Coruscant, the lower levels, he'd be put straight into their main prison, but he was ok with that. How could he be ok with that?  
He said it would be a rest, but she knew it was unlikely he would be out very soon. There had to be a way. Perhaps she could strike a deal with someone, and break him out.

But unfortunately, she knew what he was meaning right now. He wanted himself to get caught to save her, no matter the cost to him.

"But I need you. I'm not ready to do this on my own." She cried, and he pulled her close, and spoke into her ear as he gave her a firm hug.  
"Use your pain to fuel your ambition, my dear. Survive. I don't want you to get caught." He kissed her forehead, and gently shoved her in the direction they had their ship. "Now go." He said gruffly and she stumbled away shooting him one last look.

_Take care of my ship. I'll be fine. _

The words echoed through her head as the whine of the engine became all she could hear.

She felt Rayfe wrap a hand around her arm and he dragged her into an alley and they ran the opposite direction. She had tear streaming down her face and she felt her chest throb as they ran. They managed to get to a subway that led them to the level their ship was parked on and as soon as they got in the ship she sank to the floor and let out a loud sob covering her ears.  
Rayfe closed the hatch and as he did so, his mind spun. He hadn't known Ozan for very long, but from the time he had known him, he felt lucky. He was a kind and generous man who had not only saved his life, but given him somewhere to belong for the first time in a very long time. He gave him somewhere to belong after a lifetime of being alone. It was if Ozan understood what that was like.

And that man had just sacrificed himself for Kai. For his daughter.

He heard her sobs echo through the cargo bay and he set the doors to ring an alarm in case anyone attempted to open them.

He picked her up from off the floor and walked into their small kitchen that had a table and wrap-around bench and he put her down and slid in next to her and held her to him, soothing her in a low voice, with various phrases in his native tongue.

"How could it have gone…. s-so wrong?" She cried, her tears garbling her speech. She clung to his shirt as she fought for breath. "We were supposed to g-get the target and our money…"

He shrugged and gently smoothed his hand over her hair and pressed a kiss to the crown of her head. He left his lips there and mumbled into her hair. "I'm not sure, my love. Not every mission can go perfectly to plan." He tried to tell her and he felt her tense up and she shook her head angrily.

"Why'd they have to take him? I should have been more aware, I should have known that there would be police there. Then maybe we would have avoided all of this." She ranted, and Rayfe made a sound of exasperation and pulled her away so he could look at her, tear streaked face and all.  
"Stop this, now." He said, his accent thick due to the intense emotion he was feeling. "What happened was not your fault, and it will do nothing to follow that train of thought. Ozan sacrificed himself for you. His daughter." He knew what had happened to Kai's mother and he knew that pain. He couldn't image going through it again, and he didn't know what else to do, except be there for her.

Kai sagged into his side again and sniffled. "It hurts so much. It's so much like losing my mom again, but different somehow." She whispered, the action of speaking normally too painful.

Rayfe gently stroked her cheek with his thumb. "My heart, it's going to be alright. I know it hurts, and I understand, but you and I are going to get through this, together, do you understand?" His dark brown eyes stared down at her as he held her face in his hands.  
She nodded, her blue eyes shimmering in the light, puffy from crying. "Yeah, I do." She surrendered herself into his arms and into his touch and let herself feel the pain, hoping one day it wouldn't hurt quite so much.

With Ozan gone, the missions took on a completely different feeling. They were more on the fly, less sure, less steady. Kai hadn't realized how the years of knowledge Ozan had had played a role in their mission and what their intel was like. It felt like they were being thrown on the wind sometimes, but they managed. They brought in credits and stayed fed, fueled and clothed and so she knew she couldn't complain.

But _stars, _she missed Ozan. She missed his gruff presence, his kind demeanor. She missed the way he wanted his caf piping hot with lots of sugar, or how he was constantly misplacing his comm device.

There was part of her that hoped he never found out about their worst mistake, but she knew it was inevitable. He'd had that droid longer than her.

A-6 had been destroyed. It was during a mission and they thought they had gained enough distance but she had miscalculated and a well-placed RPG had reduced the droid she'd cared for for so long, into scrap metal. She had stared at his twisted pieces of metal until Rayfe had dragged her away again.

That had nearly taken Kai down a second time. She felt like she was losing everything and she had to hold onto Rayfe desperately, with everything she had. If she didn't she thought was going to slip.

How long until she lost the ship? Until she lost Rayfe? The anxiety and unknown was driving her crazy, and she didn't know what to do.  
But she had a focus now.

And it was because they had a mission.

And this was no ordinary mission. This was the mission that Ozan had never let her take, never even let her think about accepting.

They were going after Viya's crew, and this time, to avenge her mother, Kai was going to make sure that she finished the job.


	16. Chapter 16

_(Hello all! The update is going to be postponed a couple weeks because of some unforeseen computer issues. I hope to have it, along with my chapters, back in my possession soon, out of the computer hospital. Kai just told me to tell you that she and the troopers are doing well, and yes she stills plans on going a date with Rex but would adore some ideas! But for this week here's some questions about me, your author and our lovely main character Kai! I hope you enjoy!) _

You only get 3 words to describe yourself – what are they? Me: Tender-hearted (I pretend I'm tonight but I'm not), sarcastic, student. Kai: Definitely stubborn, kind, brave.

Would you rather have a home in the mountains or on the beach? Me: Aw, man. Can I have both? I absolutely love the beach, but people seriously underestimate the power of corrosive salt water and rust. But I do love mountains so I don't even know! Kai: I want a house by the ocean. It's so foreign to me but from what I've heard they're very relaxing.

If you could jump into a pool of anything, what would it be? A: It would definitely be those water bead things, you know… you put them in water and they get super squishy. Kai: *visible confusion* just water?

Who's the most emotive? Me: *glares at Kai* I'd have to say it's probably Kai. She's a bit more passionate than I am, as emotional as I may be. Kai: You do roll your eyes a lot.

Who yells the most? Me: Definitely Kai. I actually tend not to yell a lot.

Could you be considered lazy? Me: Well I'd have to say that depends. I have chronic back problems that make me tired a lot, so I do either nap or just chill, quite often. But taking care of yourself isn't bad. It never is. Self care, my pretties. Kai: I'm definitely lazy somethings but I also don't think that's always bad. We all deserve a lazy day now and again don't we?

Favorite movies? Me: Sorry Kai you don't get to answer this one. I first started on my fantasy journey with Lord of the Rings and so I have such a soft spot for that series. It's just so full of adventure and emotion, learning experiences and growth. And obviously, amazing armor and hair.

How tall are you? Me: Well I always thought I was 5'7" until the tragic day the nurse told me I was only 5'6 ¾". Kai: *thumbs up* I come in at a whopping 5'7" inches exactly! Ha!

What's the meaning behind your username? (whatever that thing is called…) Me: Great question actually! So I got the name Kai because I had been using the same name for my OCs for a while and I felt like I was in a rut. Kai, or Kaishae was actually the OC I made for this story, and I felt most free to be me in it. Writing is a wonderful thing so don't ever be afraid to write badly. That's how stories get written. Oh and I also have a wonderful OC I created with my best friend who I named Shae, so I guess I recycled that name!

What am I listening to right now? Me: I was listening to BTS until my friends laptop died, actually and Kai can't answer any questions right now because she's listening to the Core World's Radio of Hits.


	17. Chapter 17

_(CW: Fighting, injuries (I don't think anything too horribly serious) And thank you to all the kind dears who gave suggestions. I appreciate y'all! Some of the suggestions will be in the next chronological chapter.) _

_(Current Day) _

Their orders were to attack the factory in less than an hour.

Kai was standing near a tank when a trooper close to her swayed on his feet and held his head.

She put her pack down and walked closer to him and placed a hand on his shoulder, his shoulder plate dusty.

"Trooper, are you alright? What's wrong?" She asked, feeling very concerned at his sluggish movements.

"Ss-okay" He mumbled and when he swayed again, she grabbed him by the waist and pulled his arm over her shoulder.

"Easy, soldier. Let's get you over here." She walked him to a boulder, his legs trembling slightly and once he was down, she called out to Ray who was standing close by. "Hey I need a medpac. Something's wrong with him."

Ray brought the pack over with him and slid off the soldier's helmet which caused him to hiss as light hit his eyes.  
"K-kriff..too bright." He closed his eyes and groaned and Kai immediately cradled his head to her shoulder, so he didn't have to hold it up himself.

"Hush. It's alright, we're going to take care of you." She said softly and was surprised at the amount of care and _affection _she felt for this soldier. When had this happened? This was just a job. She wasn't supposed to feel this way about the people she was working for. But over time, training with them, spending time with them, hearing them joke in the dark when they couldn't sleep, made her feel oddly close.  
Ray fished out bacta spray and a scanner and ran it over the soldier's head with a practiced movement. "You got a real good hit on the head, Risk."  
She heard commotion, probably the sounds of soldiers getting ready to move out, but she focused on this trooper. "Where's the rest of his company? Were they hit as well?"  
Ray slid off his own helmet, his amber eyes full of thought. "You're right. We need to check them. They'll try and play it off, but if they go into combat it will not only jeopardize their fighting ability, but the company's mission. Can't believe I didn't think to check the whole squad. Nice catch." He tapped some things into his comm link, and he got up and jogged over to Anakin and explained what was happening.

Skywalker seemed to agree with whatever Ray was saying, and they were able to single out the rest of the soldiers in Risk's squadron.

Ray walked back over to her with the men and looked at her intently. "I need you to stay here with them. I'll take over the medical care for the rest of the company. Can you handle that? There's a slight chance the bugs will come back, and you'll need to be prepared for that." Ray explained, and the General came up behind him with a kind look on his face.

"Thank you." He told her honestly and it made her pause and stare up at him. He thanked her. A Jedi and a General in this army. "Ray said without your quick insight we wouldn't have been able to catch this in time, and a lot of men would have died. Their concussions were taking time to settle in. Thank you, again."

Kai nodded and grabbed out an extra magazine and slid it into her blaster. "I'll protect them, Jedi. I promise. I'll do everything I can."  
Ray came over and put a hand on her shoulder before he walked away. "They'd usually ask for your skills, but as of right now, we have both Jedi, and enough to give the front of the factory a fight. You just keep them safe."  
Kai nodded as he said that and she turned to look at fifteen other men who were in various degrees of pain and nausea.

Once Ray and the rest of the company started to head out, she put herself on the outer edge of their group and checked over all of them from where she sat. They were there for about an hour, maybe more when one of them finally spoke.

One of the clones named Mark leaned over to her a little, holding his head in his hands, but his helmet stayed on. Apparently, it was darker that way. "You really made us…miss out on the action, didn't you?" He said, with no real heat in his voice and she rolled her eyes and fixed her jacket cuffs.

"Listen here, if I didn't, you all would have been hurt badly or even killed. You still want to hit up 79ers when we get back right?" She teased him and a couple others gave small laughs.

"I don't know about you boys, but just thinking of the noise and lights is making me want to throw up." Risk complained and a couple others gave a tired half salute.

Kai smiled as she stood up and scanned the surrounding area. After the battle that had just occurred her nerves still felt like they were on edge, warm feeling in her chest aside. She knew that had to do with the impending date with Rex, but she had other things to focus on. Things like keeping them all alive.

She scanned the tops of the ridges, her eyes picking out a couple puffs of dust off to the west about a half a click. She holds her hand out behind her to the trooper closest. "Let me see your binocs." She felt the heft of them as they were placed in her hand and she lifted them to scan the ridgeline. Still just dust…so why was the hair on the back of her neck standing up?

She heard a tired but determined voice behind her. "What do you see?" She heard the sound of all of their blasters being readied and she knew they were just as ready as she was.

"I'm not sure yet. It's just too quiet for me to be comfortable." She scanned the line one more time and lowered the blaster and took a step back.

Just in time.

A green blaster shot hit the ground in front of her, throwing up sand and dust and she yelled and scrambled backwards, reaching for her pistol, as she saw the other clones take a knee and scan the area.  
"Where are they?" One of them yelled and she squinted and looked at the surrounding area, and she saw a cloud from the west grow bigger as several Geonosians flew and two others sped at full speed on speeder bikes.  
"Take out the bikes!" One of the clones yelled and she aimed for one of the weaving targets and pulled the trigger, the shot hitting home. Of course, it did, Ozan had taught her nothing less. The second bug was taken care of on the speeder, which left about a dozen Geonosians hoping to get easy kills on a group of wounded soldiers.  
But they were bred to be the best, and that much was evident even if they were concussed, some severely. She backed up to block the two of them from fire, so they could fight from behind.  
They were _not_ dying. Not on her watch. Enough had died today and she wasn't taking any more losses.

And they seemed to want to live as well. But they weren't completely invincible. A trooper went down, shot in the leg, right in front of her and she moved to the front of him.

She fired over and over again, and suddenly she found herself on the ground. She spit out dust and sand and blinked as pain erupted in her leg.

_Kriff, _she'd been _shot. _She growled angrily and pointed her pistol at the few remaining Geonosians and fired off a few shots and the rest fell to the ground under the group's onslaught.

A clone came up behind, one of the newer ones and he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Are you alright? Where were you hit?"  
She gestured vaguely to her leg, even if it was _throbbing _and she gave a smile. "It's alright. I'll fix it up really quick, and we'll be on our way. Any updates?"  
One of the clones looked at his comm and nodded. "The factory has been destroyed and they're trying to extract the padawans."  
So that was why the ground had seemed to shake during the firefight. She knew it wasn't just due to laser fire, but she had been too busy to register it. Leave it to the Jedi and the rest of her 501st to blow the building sky high.

"Lovely. Tell them to pick us up soon. It's too hot and I need a shower." She complained as she pulled out a bacta patch and some cloth.

He gave a dry chuckle, but typed something and she finished up with her leg, the wound stinging as she placed the patch on.

She slid over to another trooper and got to work on his leg plate, and she raised a brow as she saw the plastoid in a bit of a melted state around the entry wound. She hadn't seen this before really. Was it the distance from the lasers being fired from?

She unclipped the plate and went to lift it when he cried out and his hand gripped her wrist. "Don't, it's stuck! It's gotta wait until we're back on the ship. They can take it off there." He explained frantically and she nodded and placed and clipped the leg plate back on.  
"Alright, alright. It's back on." She reassured him. "I didn't know it melted like that. Is it just due to proximity?" She asked, almost at the same time she remembered that they all had concussions. "I'm sorry, you don't have to answer!" She said quickly and one waved his hand tiredly from where he was. "S'okay. Closer range usually melts the armor. Gotta leave it on until bacta."

She placed her gun back into its holster and looked around at her small group. She checked her chrono and sighed and _waited. _

They had to be done soon. These men needed to be back on the ship, in the med bay healing, not out in scorching heat. The light _was _dimmer due to the sunset so she supposed she had that to be grateful for. Her leg throbbed quietly as she checked around them all. When were they going to be done?

It was almost as though Anakin heard her, because a few moments later she got a call from him. She answered and his face popped into view. "Our part of the battle's over. We're sending a gunship your way."  
Kai breathed out in relief and nodded, her throat dry as she spoke. "Thanks...We need it."  
He tilted his head and his eyebrows furrowed. "What happened? Are you all alright?"  
She shrugged. "Just a group of bugs circled back around for a second round while we were stopped here." She explained.  
He shook his head, but didn't seem surprised. "Any causalities?" She shook her head and smiled.

"No, surprisingly not, but I don't think we can take another hit like that. Some of the men are getting worse."  
He nodded and spoke to someone out of his view. "Expect the gunship in less than ten minutes." He instructed and when she nodded, he hung up and she walked over to her bag, limping as the wound zinged. She zipped it up and slid her rifle comfortably onto her back and slid the bag on as well over it.

True to his word, they heard a gunship approach and when the doors opened, two medics jumped out and began to help men onto the ship, the more severely wounded being put onto stretchers.

The doors closed once they were all in and Kai leaned against the door while holding onto a strap in relief. She leaned her head against the wall and closed her eyes, the act making them burn.

Maker, she was _so_ tired. She felt like she could shower for a week and sleep for two. But she was sure there was something they'd all have to do when they got back.

She adjusted the patch on her leg and when they entered the ships hanger, she peeled her eyes open and stepped out, the wounded being taken to the infirmary, splitting around her slow walking form like a river.

She walked down the hall and into the bunk room, so familiar yet still so foreign and heaved a heavy sigh as she put her bag down. She leaned against her bed, sitting on the mattress and raised her head when a few men came in. Not a lot of them were back yet, and she wondered where they all were.

She also wondered how Jesse, and Hardcase and Fives were all doing. She really wanted to shower, but for some reason, she really wanted to make sure they were doing ok.

She stood up with a long groan and made her way to the door and walked down to the hall, and made it to the mess hall and immediately scanned the area for her familiar faces. She finally found them and walked over, but they seemed more somber than usual. It probably had to do with the the battle. They were tired, just like her.  
She sat and Fives gave her a smile and a warm side hug. "Hi guys. What's going on?" She asked and Jesse sighed and slid a pad over. "We just got the casualty list in and well, it's never easy to read."  
Casualties, Right.

It had been a battle, and she knew that men had died. She really didn't want to look at that list, but she knew she had to. She had to know.

Whose face was she not going to see when she went to bed tonight?

She brought the screen closer and stared at it, holding her breath as she scanned down, recognizing a few numbers and the names that were added in as notes.

Charr. He hadn't made it. His wound must have been too serious and made him a target. She wished she could have protected him, maybe.

Wave. Heavy artillery. How had he not survived? He told her he was going to live as long as he could and the sheer force of will that man carried always shocked her. But maybe his time was shorter than they both had thought.

Tagg. No…not Tagg. By now she wasn't registering the looks of concern or the tears going down her cheeks. She remembered how energetic he had been when she'd met him, as he'd sprinted towards the factory, made sure she was doing ok. She remembered complaining about the helmets and his laugh when he responded. And now he was dead.

One name in particular made her breath hitch and she failed to hold in the rest of her tears as she placed the pad down with a bit more force than normal. Shiner, Ash's best friend.  
She had to find Ash, wherever he was, see how he was doing. He couldn't be doing well.

She wiped her face and stood, her face hard. "I…have to go find someone. Thank you. I'll be around in a little bit." She looked at them all and Fives nodded to her with understanding.  
"We'll see you around." He reassured her and she walked out of the mess hall, her jacket tight around her.

Charr. Tagg. Wave. Their names echoed with her footsteps as she pressed on the comm and Kix's tired voice came through. "Kai?"  
"Is Ash there?" She asked, and she waited a moment for his response.

"Yeah, someone will show you to his bunk. Is that all?" He asked, and she knew he was rushed.

"Yeah, thanks. I'm coming in." She told him and he responded with a quick "Alright" and hung up. She knew he was busy so she didn't take the short answer personally and she made her way inside the med bay.

After asking a few medical personnel she was directed to where Ash lay. His leg was to be wrapped in bacta and bandages for the next couple of days. She stepped up next to him and he turned his head and saw her.

Oh, and when he _did_, his soft eyes began to shine with tears and his lip trembled. "Kai." He said quietly and she sat down next to him and she held onto his hand with both of hers.  
"I read the list. Ash, I'm so…-" To say sorry felt so surface, so inadequate, but she couldn't help it. She really didn't know what else to say. "I'm so sorry."  
He looked up at the ceiling and tears flowed down his cheek and into his hairline as he stared up. "He…he got shot right in front of me. Three shots to the chest. And we were on the run, I couldn't even stop to help him." His chest heaved with a sob and she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. It was another trooper, from what battalion she had no idea, but he had a look of sympathy, a look of knowing.

She looked around and found a table with some soft gauze pads on it and she grabbed one and sat back down, gently drying the tears off of his face, blinking back her own.

Why was she crying? She'd only met them a few months ago. Surely it couldn't be that intense of a connection already. There was no way. She was just a bounty hunter, who lived day to day. Sure, she was kinder than most, came from a good family but these men were just…soldiers, right?

But they weren't. Why did it take a battle and losses for that _really _to sink in? It had hit her a little bit on the battlefield, seeing how senseless and quick the deaths were, the fact that most bodies couldn't be retrieved, whole transports going down in flames.

But why did it have to hit her so hard here, in the medbay, surrounded by the wounded, her hand in Ash's, her _friend? _

He shook his head. "I don't want to do this without him. He was the last from my squad. I feel so alone now." He whispered. Kai knew something of that, of feeling alone.

She smiled down at him the best she could and smoothed a thumb over his knuckles. "I know that feeling. I lost my mom when I was eleven and the man I call my father is now in the Coruscant Prison. Sad thing is, I don't know that me working for the GAR is a good enough reason to get him out. And…." She couldn't think about this now, but the thought came uninvited, seeing those sightless eyes staring up at her. "I lost the man I loved to something I couldn't stop almost a year ago. He was shot and there wasn't anything I could do, but leave because I knew he didn't want me to die. And I felt alone," She felt a tear slide down her cheek and she brushed did away. Ash watched her carefully, his amber eyes still shining, but clearer, more intent. "until I came here. Until I met all of you. It's crazy and it's hectic, and I despise the loss of lives you all have endure. But you're not alone Ash, and you never will be. Even if you had no one left in the entire army, you'd still have me. I'll still be your friend, and I'll still be here for you, ok?" She asked and she saw him nod, and that made her feel a little better. "Promise me you'll remember that." She urged and he nodded his head his head more fervently as he blinked heavily.

"I-I will. I promise. Thanks, Kai. You know, what the republic officers say about people like you, is wrong." He frowned and she laughed a little at his stern face.

"Oh, I know exactly what they say about my kind of people, and unfortunately they're not always wrong. But I try to be different. You can tell them that." She patted his hand and laid it back down. "Now, why don't you try to get some sleep, alright? You've been through a lot. You and I and the rest of this battalion will help each other through this."  
He laid his head back completely and sighed heavily but leaned into her hand when she brushed her hand over his head. "Alright. I'll see you later." He said quietly and she smiled and got up and walked out, her feet heavy but she got on her comm as she remembered something. She bit her lip for a moment as she contemplated what to say.

_~I could use the drink tonight if you're free.~_

Her comm pinged back a couple minutes later, just as she was making it to her bunk and she sat down heavily, the muscles in her thigh quivering. She supposed it was time to fish out her personal bacta collection and actually treat her wound.

_~If you give me another hour and a half, I can be ready. Do I meet you at your door?~ _

Wait, he was asking _her _that? That was such an oddly phrased question. Why was he asking her that? Then it struck her. This was a completely different situation that it had been with anyone else, that particular anyone else being Rayfe. He had known what to do, and he'd told her that he'd dated before, that he'd gone out with other women

But it hit her that the captain didn't have that experience. All he knew was war and being a soldier. She laughed dryly to herself as she realized this. They probably didn't give their military much time to date and meet other people.

So of course, he didn't know if he was supposed to pick her up tonight. She tapped back a message with a smile and set her comm next to her and grabbed the towel she had stowed under her bunk. The freshers were empty right now and she took some comfy lounge clothes with her to change into. Time to clean off the evidence of the battle and keep moving forward.

_~Sounds good to me. I can't wait.~_


End file.
